Majora's Mask The true story
by Master Ruck
Summary: MM novelisation. Chapter 15, the frost-filled nightmare of the Snowhead Temple awaits where the cold, and other matters, are a discomfort to all who venture within the icy halls. On temporary hiatus.
1. Chapter 1: The true storyteller

**Chapter 1: The true story-teller**

The blue light of the moon lit up the many paths and streets running through the city, making it a perfect night to go outside and walk amongst the peace. There was no-one outside at this moment, though, as the wonderful moonlight was creeping around from the edge of heavy rain clouds, evidence of their visit still laying in the gutters.

There was one man outside in the streets, however. He had no coat or jacket to shield against the rain and no umbrella in sight. All he wore was a long sleeved purple shirt and a darker purple pair of trousers. He strolled through the house infested streets where his small purple plimsolls splashed into the small puddles of rain water causing thin trickles of water to flow into the cracks in the stone.

The man kept on walking until the winding alleyways led him out into a large market square where there were many shops and big stalls. Large potted plants were placed here and there and a large fountain of water in the centre where people could sit down and rest. The man smiled as he looked around at the familiar scenery and walked past all the shops taking in the feeling of having returned and allowing old memories to resurface and widen the grin on the man's face.

The first memory was outside a popular diner which served some of the most delicious pastries and cooked foods where he had gone many a time for a good meal. Another memory floated up outside the Bazaar where he himself taught the large owner how to barter and keep the customer under his control and over his price range. He slowed down near the potion shop where he had made some excellent business trading with the old but sharp women who ran the place, then he kept on going until another memory detached itself from the back of his mind and came up.

Unfortunately, this was not a good memory.

The man was standing outside one of the most sacred places of this land which was held in very high respect for one of the very few religions the people believed in. This sacred place was called the Temple of Time, and this brought back bad memories to him as he is one of the few who still remembers the time when darkness ruled.

Shaking this memory free and re-attaching itself to the dark depths of his mind, he walked on and came to a stop outside a dull looking shop that seemed to have been out of business for a long time, namely because it had.

Reaching into his pocket the man pulled out a bronze coloured key and placed it into the lock, opening the door to his shop closing and locking the door behind him so none could follow him inside. Walking up to the counter at the far end of the shop he looked around at the empty shelves lining the walls and allowed more, good memories to come back, letting him relish the times he once spent here.

From behind the desk he pulled out a chair to sit in, but before he did he reached behind his back to grab a strap on his shoulder, swinging it around until it lay dangling in his hand. He sat down on the chair to relax for a moment and as he did, he lowered the strap setting down a very big pack.

---

The next day the blue moonlight had vanished along with the moon and had been replaced by a warm and loving sun bringing light to all who stand beneath it. The rain water of the streets had also vanished and replaced by many people going out and about doing their morning shopping or going off to work.

On this day, though, there is a particularly large crowd in one of the corners of the main market square. After one person saw the purple clad man through their window last night, word passed around quicker than the great plague and virtually everyone knew that the Happy Mask Man had returned and his shop was open for business once more.

The Happy Mask Man was the name given to him by the townspeople as nobody knew his real name. He accepted the name given to him and found it amusing in a way as it seemed to perfectly fit his profession. The Happy Mask Man, as the name implied was a man who loved masks of almost any kind. His shop is a place that sells and trades masks where he supposedly gets as much happiness trading the mask as the customer does using the mask.

There are many mysteries surrounding the Happy Mask man, one of which is that large pack that he carries around. With him standing at around 5'10" and weighing around 120lbs or so, people wonder how he can carry a pack that is about the same height and twice his weight.

The pack itself has masks coating the outside seemingly showing off his collection and what people think of as advertisement when he leaves his shop, but another mystery comes in here as the Happy Mask man rarely ever leaves save to go out on a journey to find more masks and bring them back to his shop where he trades them all away again.

Many rumours have been told of this man, rumours like his face is a mask that he always wears to hide his real face, and that he is possessed by some incredibly strong being that allows him to lift such a heavy pack. Oddly enough, that is one of the rumours that makes the most sense. The more accurate one, though, is that he can use magic, which is true.

While he can somehow carry such a massive bag, he is seemingly lacking in physical strength with the two thin arms he possesses. Fortunately for him, his magic helps him out in many situations, such as the odd case of someone trying to steal from him which unfortunately, for the thief, occurred on the re-opening day.

The thief knew that with such a big crowd he may not be seen escaping with the mask without paying, but what he did not know is that the Happy Mask man's magic prevents unpaid masks from leaving the building. When he tried to leave by breaking out into a run he instead fell right back into the store due to the mask refusing to leave and pushing the wearer back inside.

There were no more attempts at stealing a mask that day.

The Happy Mask shop – aptly named after the owner - always managed to muster a large crowd and lure them in as he would always return with many new masks of all different kinds for all types of people. Light, exotic masks for the higher-ups planning a large dinner party, lively colourful masks sometimes used by clowns or for practical jokes and every now and then the Happy Mask man would come back with one of the rare Sheikah masks said to have special powers. One of which was called the Mask of Truth said to be able to talk with the many gossip stones across the land; a big hit with mothers who loved to gossip.

Today was no exception as most of the square was gathering outside and inside his shop with every person having been in at least once. Some people say this is because the Happy Mask man uses a subtle spell that subconsciously hypnotises them into coming inside, but others look at it logically and say it is because he's nice and has very good masks up for offer.

Whatever the reason was, people were still flocking in and picking masks off the shelf to try them on. Now, if one looked inside the shop and saw the number of masks that could be shown, that person would think with so many people coming in all the masks would be gone in a day, but then there are many mysteries surrounding this particular person so logic did not always abide to the surroundings of the Happy Mask man.

As the day went on, the crowd began to die down as did the sun with people leaving with their new purchases while there was still some light to guide them home. As the store became less populated, the Happy Mask man thought about closing up early so he could rest, ready for the new rush the next day. He was always busy. As he thought that, though, the front door opened and a couple with their young son entered, the boy looking very excited and energetic. All it took was a simple nod and he was running back and forth looking at all the masks he could see.

Normally, the Happy Mask man was happy to go to his customer and have a brief talk with them, maybe pointing out a good mask or somehow managing to get more money out of them than they hoped to spend, without them realising it. Seeing as it was only himself and this small family, he decided this was no exception so he got up out of his chair and swung his pack back on now walking towards the parents.

"Good evening. I am the Happy Mask man, owner and founder of this shop. How can I help you?" He said with a friendly smile upon his face.

"Oh, well it's our son's birthday today and when he heard you had re-opened, we decided to get him a mask as a birthday present." The mother replied, startled slightly when she heard the Happy Mask man.

The Happy Mask man kept on smiling as the boy dashed right between them to the other side of the shop. "Well I'm sure he'll find something he likes. Perhaps I could interest you with something else in the meantime, sir. You seem like the kind of person who likes masks."

"You read me well" the father responded, a grin forming on his face. "I was a collector of masks at some point. I still have a few back at home. Perhaps I should bring them here some day and show you what I have."

"Yes, that would make me happy. For now, though, can I interest the two of you in a mask?"

"Heh heh, never give up on a deal, eh?" The father replied with a chuckle.

As the two men fell into a conversation, with the mother butting in every now and again, their son was still running around grabbing a mask, looking at it then placing it back up and running again. As he did, though, he stopped just behind the Happy Mask man where the young boy looked at some of the masks on his pack with awe.

There were two masks in particular that really caught his eye, a light blue one with a few white streaks and a dark purple one with red and yellow streaks. After staring at them for a couple of minutes, as if he were staring at something behind them, he snapped from his gaze and plucked the two masks off of the pack.

"Hey mister, what are these?" the boy asked, holding the two masks out for him to see.

The Happy Mask man turned to see beyond his massive pack to see two very familiar masks. He laughed lightly when he realised what this boy had chosen to ask about.

"This mask" he pointed to the left, purple one, "is the pride of my collection. I lost it a while ago but a young boy helped me and returned it to me, along with this one." He pointed to the right, sky blue one. "He gave that one to me as a gift for what I helped him discover on his journey."

The boy stared at the two masks fascinated by them and their somewhat eerie look. "What happened to the boy?" The young child asked.

The Happy Mask man glanced out through a window to get a look at what time it was, then he turned up to the parents who seemed to know a long story was coming and nodded in approval. He placed his pack on the ground and sat on it to be about the same height as the boy before he began.

"Well, I first met the boy in a far away land many miles away from here called Termina. I was on a journey to collect more masks to bring back and sell in my shop when I came across a small temple-like shrine on the southern side of the great forest. It is there that I found this mask." He said, pointing to the purple one.

The Happy Mask man continued to begin his story to the captivated audience of the small boy and his mother. The father had gone to light a gas lamp and set it down in the middle of the circle of people. He then took a seat on the floor next to his son and joined in with the rest of his family to hear the incredible tale of a young hero and the true story of the Majora's Mask.


	2. Chapter 2: Detour through the forest

**Chapter 2: Detour through the forest**

It was evening. The sun was not at the point where it would set but it still emitted a warm orange glow turning the blue sky to a musty orange. This didn't matter to Link, though, as the large canopy of trees and branches overhead only allowed small shafts of light to get through so even if the sky was a luminous green, it would be very difficult to tell.

Link was a small boy aged 9 or 10. He was a strange boy as he wore green clothing all over; green shirt, green shorts and even a green hat that dangled to the back of his neck. This sort of clothing is natural for the eternally young children of the forest who all wear a similar attire, but this boy appeared from seemingly nowhere in the middle of the most populated town in all the land.

There are other aspects about him that can be deemed strange as well. While he is only 10 years old, he thinks in a way that most adults would, and even then it is odd by those standards.

The cause of this is the effect destiny has had on his life. A force of the world said to decree all of our moves and control the path of our lives. Such a force was placed upon this boy when he was still innocent and unknowing of how the world truly worked. Once his destiny was complete, after effects of his forced path still lingered and he knew he no longer belonged anywhere in the world.

In a vane attempt to try and give himself a new purpose, Link follows after a friend he met through the course of destiny and a friend he lost once his destiny had been fulfilled. The reason for losing her still echoes throughout his mind and brings back an all-too familiar emotion he experienced many times throughout his lifetime.

Anger.

Never before has he had a reason for such powerful anger since his innocent years as almost everything he held dear to him was taken away by his destiny. Everything except his closest friend, and now it had taken that away as well.

Through the forest he now trudges looking for his friend with the only thing he has left, his horse Epona. One of the few things that was spared was his ever faithful and loyal horse who now carried him on her back, aiding him in his search for what he desired most.

Unfortunately for him, his search would be cut short and his life would be changed once again in ways he could never predict.

---

Just a short distance ahead two fairies, a light yellowy-white one and a dark purple one, lay hiding behind a large tree having seen the boy and his horse come. Nodding to one another, they silently flew from tree to tree and then waiting for the boy to come a little closer. The boy didn't seem to notice as he was in some kind of daze or stupor.

Realising the boy would barely react at all to them in the state he was in the two fairies decided to target the young horse instead. By silently yet quickly flying to the horses face when it was turned they were able to startle it enough to rear back and through her rider off, knocking him unconscious.

Having done their job, they turned to wait for their friend to turn up, which he quickly did so. Behind the two fairies a shadow of some sort appeared floating in the air but soon the shadow was gone and replaced by something more dark and sinister than any shadow.

It was a strange face with bright glowing yellow eyes with red outlining them, merging with the purple covering the majority of the face. Protruding out of the top and bottom of the face were large spikes a few inches long while across the face were odd markings like a spell or ancient text.

This was quickly followed by spindly body wearing ragged orange clothes similar to what you might find on a scarecrow. The body appeared just behind the face proving it to be a mask when the body of the skull kid who just appeared lifted it off his face to look at the two fairies having rejoined his side.

The skull kid gave a smile to the fairies then placed the mask back on as he made his way over to the fallen, unconscious boy. Flipping him over on to his back, the skull kid began rummaging through his clothes to see if he had anything worth taking, to which he could not immediately find.

"Hey skull kid, found anything yet?" The purple fairy asked.

"Tael, leave him alone. If he finds anything he'll tell us." The white fairy replied.

"Sorry sis." Tael said, to which he silenced himself at the same time the skull kid stopped searching.

Out from one of the boy's pockets the skull kid produced a sea blue ocarina that seemed bigger than most others.

"Oh, hey cool. An ocarina. Hey skull kid, can I play it?" Tael pleaded.

"No way Tael, let the skull kid have it. What if you broke it?"

"Aww, come on Tatl, we could play it together!" Tael continued to plead.

"No." Tatl firmly said, which was the last word said.

The skull kid would lift up his mask and put the ocarina to his lips, playing a short, flat note. It would be obvious to anyone that this creature did not know how to play an ocarina properly. Despite that, every note played managed to get a giggle out of the skull kid and another from the purple fairy, Tael.

Tatl would just look at them and sigh like a mother to her playful children.

Link was still lying on the floor, still unconscious. It was not a dream-less sleep, however, for there was one particular dream that occurred in his time on the ground, being robbed.

He couldn't see anything in his dream; he was just lying on his back in the middle of nothingness. A rustle of his clothes seemed to echo in the blank space making any sound much louder than it actually was, hence why his ears perked up when Link heard the flutter of a fairy's wings.

_Link, wake up!_

There was a voice, an unrecognisable voice, but a voice all the same that seemed to come from all around. Link tried to get up and look for the source of the voice but for some reasons his muscles didn't respond so he remained lying down.

_Hey Link, hey, wake up!_

Link was still trying to move in some way but was now busy trying to put a face or person to the voice so as to understand who or what was talking to him.

_Honestly, can the fate of Hyrule really rest on such a lazy boy?_

No face was needed now, for while the voice was still unrecognisable who it belonged to was now obvious as he had heard that line before. It was Navi, waking him up from his bad dream the day his destiny began. The day they first met and became partners throughout their quest.

_Link, Link! Hey, listen! Wake up!_

To this, he was suddenly able to move but before he could, his eyes shut in a blink and were now opening much more slowly. The black nothingness had gone and now a large canopy of leaves and trees hung over his head, which was aching for some reason.

The flat note from an ocarina brought him back to his senses and reminded him where he was and what he was doing. Another flat note made him think of his ocarina to which he instantly searched for it, put two and two together and figured out that the sound was from his ocarina, having been stolen.

The cold, emotionless stare back in his eyes he stared at the skull kid playing his ocarina with an incredible loathing. It wasn't until the two fairies pointed behind him that the skull kid turned around and saw the boy awake and glaring at him.

In a vain attempt of hiding the ocarina behind his back, despite the fact that the boy had plainly seen it in his hands, the skull kid still hoped the boy would give up and go home. To this he would be sorely disappointed as Link was ready to pounce on the skull kid while aiming for his throat.

Just as he planned to commit this merciless murder, the skull kid somehow leapt high into the air and landed on the young foal Link had been riding earlier. Still maintaining his footing, Link swung around and pushed off the ground to try and grab the skull kid to pull him off, but only succeeded in getting a firm hold on his leg as both were being dragged away by the panicked, charging horse.

Trying to both cling on to the horse and shake the boy off, the skull kid help firm to whatever he could get a grip on, which wasn't much as Link never put a saddle on Epona. His point of opportunity came when, out of the dense forest, came a familiar clearing of which a turn to the other side of the horse would come, hopefully knocking the boy off while he got away freely.

Fortune seemed to smile upon him as just that occurred. Laughing as the boy lost his grip and tumbled into the bushes, the skull kid pushed himself to sit on the horse and rode it off into a large opening in an even larger tree.

Now, Link had lived in the forest all his life, well, childhood life, and he knew it like the back of his hand. This part of the woods extended beyond the boundaries of the Kokiri so Link did not know this part very well, if at all. It was this factor that surprised Link to see a tree of such a girth out in the middle of the forest, one that could rival the Great Deku Tree!

Such thoughts did not have time to linger, though, as his rage took control once more forcing Link to charge straight into the depths of the tree and get back what was his. Also, to kill that skull kid for robbing him.

Not thinking may have been a bad idea as the light outside was bad enough due to the trees blocking the sun, but when inside a tree it was so bad all you could see is a faint outline of structures or roots.

While his rage continued to blind him more than the lack of light was, somewhere deep in the back of his mind Link was pleading to someone. Pleading that Epona would be alright and hoping he wouldn't have to go through the same pain of losing the last thing he had left.

Then came the hole.

Still running forward, Link only just managed to see the edge of a pit that didn't seem to go on or look like a short drop. Despite his quick reactions, he couldn't help but topple slowly into it and begin the long plummet right down to the bottom.

_Yes._ Link thought. _Yes, let me fall. Fall to my death. The only pain left is the impact and then no more pain ever again. Life has been cruel and harsh to me, and now it can finally end. Oh ye Gods who control fate, my fate is now death. Take me away from this world and let me die._

He closed his eyes and let himself fall limp, bracing himself for the collision with the ground that would surely take his life.

A moment later, his limp body hit the ground, but landing on something soft. Slowly pushing himself off the ground, Link saw he had landed on a giant flower of some sort that had cushioned the blow and let him live. Something he would curse now and praise later.

Just after he had got to his feet, two lights seemed so shine in from the walls and hit the ground lighting up the room.

It was not what the light allowed him to see that interested him most, namely the skull kid somehow levitating in the air, but the image that the light created in the centre of the floor.

It was the Triforce. At least, it resembled the Triforce. It looked distorted, like something grabbed it, ripped it apart then put it back together in the wrong places. Instinctively Link took a quick look at his hand and saw the same thing. The Triforce did not belong here or beyond this point. That which destiny gave him and forced him on his path was waning the further he went. He was finally free.

"What's with that stupid horse of yours anyway?"

The voice of the skull kid bringing him back to his senses also brought back the reason why Link had followed this thing. It also made him look and notice that Epona was not here.

"It doesn't listen to a word that's said to it."

Link obviously knew why. Epona was the kind of horse that didn't take kindly to strangers, even those who try to come up to her just to be friendly. Especially those who jump on her and take her away from someone she liked.

"There's no point in riding a thing like that so I did you a favour and got rid of it. Hee hee."

That was it. Link had now lost everything dear to him and the rage could no longer keep control over the rest of his emotions. Sadness now overwhelmed him as he had no-one to be with, no-one to keep him company, nowhere to belong, he didn't even have a destiny to guide his way anymore. He was now truly alone.

"Aww, boo hoo. Why the sad face? I just thought I'd have a little fun with you."

Still a victim to his sadness, Link drew his sword in an attempt to try and bring back the anger in order to suppress his sorrow. Also the skull kid's attitude was really beginning to bug him so the sooner he was out of the way the better.

The two fairies stayed floating on either side of the hovering skull kid staring at the young boy. At the last words mentioned, the whitish fairy, Tatl, gave a quick side-glance to the skull kid and her younger brother as if she felt she had to.

Link couldn't see the skull kid's face from his angle, but Tatl could and she had to stifle a gasp when she realised what she saw. She had seen this when…but that meant that. No. This boy had not been as bad, surely the skull kid would not be so harsh. After all, even he would have to admit it was partially his fault. Well, entirely his fault really but he would never admit to that much.

"Oh, come now. You really think you can defeat me as I am now? Fool!"

The voice of the skull kid had now considerably changed to a much lower level with no hint of kindness or any other friendly emotion at all. Every being in the room got a chill from hearing it, but for Link the chill didn't last.

Coming from the mask was some kind of dark aura and a threatening shadow that crept towards him. Link wanted to do something against it, anything. Slash it with his sword, feebly try and block it with his shield, but he soon discovered such acts were impossible as he could no longer move his body to his own will.

Both fairies were now looking back and forth between the skull kid and the young boy to see if somehow the boy could defeat the mask right here. A sudden glint from the skull kid's eye and the boy suddenly moved his hands from his side straight to his head to try and soothe whatever pain was occurring in his mind.

Tael was now looking at the child only, staring at the pain he was going through wishing he weren't there to see it. Yet, he knew the consequences of questioning the actions of the skull kid so he remained still and watched in silence. Tatl had frozen as soon as she had spotted the glint in the skull kid's eye immediately knowing what it meant, but at the same time had the feeling of impossibility.

Still clutching his head, Link desperately hoped the pain souring through his entire body would end soon and with one final yet sudden surge, it ended by knocking him out. His eyes closed and his body fell to the floor.

_Nothing._

_Link was surrounded by nothingness. There were no walls, no rocks or stone nor earth. There wasn't even light. Everywhere he looked there was nothing._

_What was he doing here anyway? Was this the Gods way of torturing him by showing he had nothing left? Perhaps it was punishment for escaping the reaches of his destiny. Whatever it was, Link didn't like it._

_What confused him the most, though, was that this dislike of his surroundings did not bring anger, but fear. He could not explain why, but for some reason actually seeing that he had nothing made him afraid that he, too, may be swallowed by the empty void that his life now was._

_His trail of thought quickly ended when some kind of rustling noise reached his ears._

_He had heard this noise, or something very similar before, but to what it was Link could not figure out. Not that it mattered as within the blink of an eye he was no longer surrounded by nothingness but instead by a mass horde of deku scrubs. Little bush-like creatures made of wood with red eyes and a large, round snout._

_There must be at least a hundred, Link thought. He instinctively reached for his sword, through habit and a strong want to defend himself in some way, but realised his sword was gone. When had he lost it? He had it when he challenged the skull kid. But he wasn't around the skull kid anymore, so Link assumed he had taken it._

_Another rustle brought him back to the now, and the fact he was surrounded by a hundred dekus with no weapon. Intimidated by the large number and still afraid of the blankness he did the only thing his body would allow._

_Run._

_Pushing the scrubs aside Link ran through the crowd and back out into the dark void of emptiness in a desperate attempt to survive. Why had the scrubs not tried to stop him though? They had plenty of time to retaliate so why did they let him go? The answer to this question was quickly found when the ground (or whatever ground was in this void) vibrated with large thumps every two seconds or so. A quick look back revealed a large scrub standing about 20" tall and heading his way. All Link could do was keep running for his life._

_As he ran, the irony of the situation sank home giving him a moment to laugh to himself before his life came to an end. When he wanted to die it was to escape the empty void of his life and be free, instead he was spared and his suicide attempt failed. Now he was running into the empty void of his life in an attempt to escape death and now he was going to die to this thing._

_The scrub had caught up to him and was now lowering its main body leaving its snout hovering over the head of the fearful little boy. A shrill cackle now rang in the air as his doom was now upon him. He knew it, this was it. Closer the snout to his death came to his body while the cackle began to unnerve him and then…_

He awoke.

The darkness had been replaced by the cavern he was in earlier, the cackle had been replaced by a high pitched laughter and the enveloping darkness had been replaced with the odd light signifying his escape of his destiny.

"Hee, hee! Now that's a good look for you!" The skull kid said while laughing.

Not quite sure what he meant, Link looked down to his hands but instead only saw wooden stumps lying out in front of him. Following them down he saw these stumps were connected to a wooden body of some sort with more stumps coming out where legs would be.

Noticing the small pool of water next to where he fell, Link moved to it to see his reflection and to prove his fears wrong. They only intensified as slight creaks could be heard when he walked forward and when he looked into the water he did not like what he saw.

Instead of a young, 10 year old boy looking back at him, there was a large wooden head with yellowy-red eyes and a short crop of blond coloured leaves hiding beneath a large green cap.

This was him, there was no denying it now. He didn't know how or why, but Link was now a deku scrub.

"You'll stay here looking that way forever!" The skull kid mischievously laughed again

The skull kid began to float backwards through an opening leading to a tunnel out, dragging the purple fairy in tow. Tatl remained behind, not being able to take her gaze off the poor boy who was now another victim of the skull kid and his strange mask.

She snapped back to her senses when she saw the boy running after the skull kid, for what reason she could not tell as dekus were harder to read than humans. Despite not liking the skull kid, she did what she could do delay the boy by ramming herself at him and knocking him back.

Link was now understanding why dekus are considered the weakest race. They were small and light which is why even a fairy could knock him to the floor.

By now the skull kid had already made his way to the end of the tunnel with the purple fairy a short way down eagerly awaiting the return of his sister. Therefore it came as a surprise and shock to him when the stone doorway slammed shut cutting the two fairies off from each other.

"Sis!" Tael called out from behind the door.

"Tael? Tael!" The fairy cried back.

She charged across the room and began repeatedly ramming the large doorway in some attempt of getting through, but to no avail.

"Sis! SIS!"

"Tael? Skull kid you leave him alone NOW!" The white fairy practically screamed.

She kept on ramming but eventually realised it was hopeless and that she could not get through the door alone, which is when she remembered the boy who they had victimised just earlier.

"You! I know we just turned you into a deku, I know we got rid of your horse and I know we robbed you but right now my brother is in danger and you have to open this door!"

Whether it was because she looked so much like Navi or because one of his lost emotions called compassion returned to him Link did not know, but a part of him felt like he had to help this fairy despite all the actions they had just recently done to him.

This new form was very unfamiliar to him so moving was difficult and something that would take some time adjusting to, but all the same he still tried to push himself on ahead just to help out someone in need. You could say his hero sense kicked in, but if you did you would almost instantly turn it off again.

He pressed his wooden hands on the large door like he had done with many large doors back in Hyrule. In his experience doors that had no hinges, moved without lifting or pushing and were made of a part of the surroundings were moved by pressing them and channelling a part of their magical energies which exist inside every intelligent being, be they practised mages or simple townsfolk. The same seemed to apply here as the door lifted up revealing the tunnel the skull kid had just recently glided down.

Unfortunately for both Link and Tatl, it was empty.

"No. No. No, no, no. They're gone." Tatl softly whispered to herself. "I swore to myself that I would never lose sight of either one ever again, and now they're both gone. No, no, no, no."

Link wasn't sure if he should comfort her or just leave her. He wanted to comfort her, but almost every time he tried he couldn't help but see Navi and suddenly he found it impossible. He didn't want to keep seeing Navi anymore, so he turned and made his way down the tunnel and after the skull kid.

"Uh, wait. Please wait." The fairy called out.

Link stopped just to see what this fairy wanted, then he would be on his way again. He just wanted to back after that skull kid and get his body and ocarina back. Being tormented by memories of one fairy by looking at another were not something he wanted right now.

"Uh, I'm, uh. I'm sorry about all that stuff back there. So please, take me with you."

What!? Link said, or hoped to say. It seemed talking was another thing done differently as a deku and something he could not figure out just yet. As a consequence, Tatl didn't hear it but could pretty much guess it.

"Look, hear me out. That skull kid is the one who turned you into a deku, so he can turn you back into a human as well. You find the skull kid, you get your old form back. I find the skull kid and I get to be with my brother again. Both of us win, neither one of us loses anything. It's in your best interest." She explained.

_Best interest? It's in my best interest to be stuck with some random fairy who keeps reminding me of her?_

Despite his dislike of the situation, the fairy did have a point and as speech was still difficult for him he merely nodded and began walking slowly.

She got the hint and flew alongside him as they walked down the long tunnel to find the skull kid. Already Link could tell it wasn't going to be easy, but this wasn't something he could just quit and ignore. Not this.

_Here we go. Another long journey, except this time, I've got nothing to lose._


	3. Chapter 3: The first encounter

**Chapter 3: The first encounter**

She couldn't help but keep staring at the young boy. She didn't know why, but something about him fascinated her. From the moment she met him in the forest she knew there was something different about him that would set him apart from the rest of the world.

Then again, if what she learned is true, then where they were going he would be set apart from this world even if he were just a commoner. Where would this boy be from, Hyrule, was it? Something like that.

Tatl had only been to Hyrule a few times, all of which had been with the skull kid, and even then they hadn't gone too far out of the forest. When they weren't pulling pranks or robbing people Tatl would take the time to either play games with her brother and the skull kid or read what little there was about this other world called Hyrule.

Not many people knew of the portal and even fewer returned so the information was little and slightly vague but it was enough to satisfy Tatl. She knew the land was called Hyrule, she had seen a basic map of the land and the landmarks such as Death Mt and Lake Hylia. The rest was just description of the person's account as he traveled.

And now she was accompanying a small boy, probably a Kokiri by the way he was dressed, and for some reason he brought her hope. Could he be able to stop the skull kid before he goes too far? He seemed determined enough to chase him for an ocarina and a horse, so perhaps he could.

Without realizing, they had stopped. Not sure why, Tatl turned to the young deku boy to see what was wrong. He was staring right ahead jerking his head back and forth slightly trying to do something. It took a moment, but Tatl quickly realized.

"Try as if you were spitting the words out. Should get some sound." She explained. It took a few tries, but Link finally managed to get words out and eventually he could do enough to talk in sentences.

"That thing. What is it?" Link asked, pointing to something that looked like a deku, but also not at the same time.

It was motionless, tied to the ground. It was deku shaped but the lack of limbs and the stone cold look to the wood said otherwise. As soon as Tatl got a look at the petrified face on the motionless deku thing she knew what it was and what it meant had happened.

"Oh no."

"What?" Link quickly, yet bluntly asked.

"This is...well, the skull kid cursed you into looking like a deku, but doing it based on his power and the mask alone would be difficult. The easiest thing to do is take the life and body of a nearby deku and use it to change you so..."

"So...this thing is...me."

Tatl only nodded. This boy was different so she couldn't tell if Link was upset, angry or some other kind of emotion. Because she didn't know she remained quiet and allowed herself to be lead by the boy as he began walking again.

Link felt neither emotion that Tatl guessed, but instead began to think about what this curse may mean. Tatl had said the skull kid took the life and body of this deku and used it to make him what he is now. The body had merged with him instead of Link taking all of the body as he still had his old cap and blond hair. Did that also mean that the life of the deku was merged with him as well or was the life energy used to fulfill the curse?

A sudden slam from behind him dragged him away from his thoughts and towards the source of the sound. They had just left the end of the tunnel and behind them now stood a large metal door that refused to open in any way.

"Wh-what's going on? This was never sealed off before! Normally the insides of the Clock tower are left open for all to see, so why-"

"Clock tower?" Link said with wonder. He had never seen or heard of a clock tower before but he didn't feel like going into a long discussion about it either. He felt slightly more comfortable with this fairy around but wanted to keep the interaction to a minimum for the reason why he was more comfortable with her. Too many memories came back.

"Oh, right. You've never been to Termina before. I'll explain it all outside, we're almost there." Tatl hurriedly said.

She darted to a ramp heading up then hovered still for a moment, waiting for Link to join her. A moment later and both of them were quickly making their way up to a higher platform Tatl kept looking at.

Link managed to stay by her, but couldn't help looking around in amazement at all the cogs and wheels all spinning and grinding away. Hyrule didn't have technology like this yet so it was all new to him and with that feeling of looking into the future. Funny how that phrase fits so perfectly with Link.

Still guiding the way, Tatl flew up the last turn onto the ledge with a large oak double door which Tatl knew to lead outside. She hovered by it waiting for Link to catch up but when he did, he didn't open the door. Instead, he just stood there doing nothing. Almost like he sensed something.

"You've met with a terrible fate."

Link quickly spun around to meet the owner of the voice, discovering how easy and quick it was to spin on the spot. Light feet and a fast body. Maybe being a deku wasn't all bad.

"You, you're the happy mask man." Link stated.

"Yes." He replied. "And you are Link, the Hero of Time."

"How do you know my name?"

The happy mask man seemed to chuckle slightly. Tatl seemed confused by the whole situation already so she stayed where she was, content with just listening to where this would go.

"It's funny how you call that your name when there was a time you renounced it and what it stood for."

"How...do you..." Link stuttered.

"I am not an ordinary man who spends his time running a mask shop. No, that is merely a hobby of mine. There are...many things that I can do so knowledge of your past is not beyond my reach. Then again, I guess I should be calling it your future what with you having saved Hyrule 7 years from now."

Now Tatl wasn't the only one who was confused, but Link understood that this man knew of his time when he was a hero and of how he did it. He did not know how this man knew, but he knew and there was no point in questioning it. He decided to question something else instead.

"Why are you here?" Link asked.

"Hmm, still acting cautious are we? I am here because I need your help." Link only raised a large, wooden eyebrow in response. "I know how you think so I won't bother concealing my request in half-truths. I want you to retrieve the mask that imp is wearing and return it to me."

"You want me to what!?" Link blurted out.

"Emotion! Not a rare sight to see coming from you as of late. Then again, perhaps there is a reason." The happy mask man said, eerily calm. "In any case, yes. I am asking you to get the mask that turned you into your current form. But I have seen what you can do. Surely this is a possible task."

Link was about to protest, but then stopped and decided to mull it over instead. Here was a man dressed in a purple attire with a monstrous bag upon his back asking him to get a mask that was stolen from him with enough power to turn a human into a deku. Clearly this man could do far more than Link could in his current state so why would he ask Link to do something like this? He was useless!

On the other hand, he was right with things he had done before. He had faced dragons, invisible shadow beings and even the King of Darkness himself and won every single time! All he was doing now was fighting some measly skull kid with a mask that allowed him to do magic. Yeah, he could do this.

But...why?

What's the point? All Link wanted to do was find Navi and find somewhere to live in peace. Away from his duty as a hero and now he was being dragged back to the frontlines. Back before his destiny was complete he started the insane quest doing things no-one else would dream of doing as it felt like the right thing to do. What did he get out of it? A sense of satisfaction and good will? What could that do for him? Nothing! If he was going to do this, it wouldn't be for free.

"To you this may seem like a possible task, but as I am now it is not." Link said bluntly.

"Ah, a good point. Well then I propose this. That skull kid has taken the precious Ocarina of Time, no thanks to your fairy friend here." To this, Tatl slowly skulked behind Link until she was out of sight behind his large hat. "That ocarina can do more than open the door of time and help heal the land. I know of a song that can heal people, so it should heal you from your curse. However, you need the Ocarina of Time and it's magical properties for it to be able to work. You go out there and get your ocarina back then return to me and I shall return you to normal. Then you can go and get my precious mask back, agreed?"

"No, not quite."

"Oh? You don't think me returning you to normal in exchange for my mask is a fair trade?"

"No, I don't. I want something else as well." Link said coldly.

"And what might that be? Money? A place to live? Somewhere you can be accepted?" The happy mask man asked.

"What can you offer me?" Link asked in return, choosing to ignore the previous offers.

"I can offer you wisdom."

Link scoffed. "If I want wisdom I'll go talk to Zelda. You should know why."

"Holding the Triforce of Wisdom does not grant infinite wisdom. There are things she does not know, things she does not know about you." Link's eyes grew solemn as if agreeing. "But I do. I know why you feel so empty inside. I know what you are searching for."

Link now looked at the ground, allowing the memories of Navi to come back and of the times they helped each other get through. He missed her so much.

"It's not her."

Link's eyes shot up to look at the happy mask man again, awaiting an explanation to his new words.

"What you seek is not your old friend, but something else. I know what it is, but I shall not tell you until you retrieve my mask for me. Does this sound like a fair deal?"

Link felt enraged by hearing this man talk of what he really was searching for, and then hearing he could not know right now. On the other hand, he still felt sad about remembering Navi. He had come close to tears at the memories but the quick response from the happy mask man prevented them from arising. He felt he had no choice.

"Fine." Link said reluctantly.

"Wonderful. Now run along and retrieve your ocarina. I'll be happy to return you to your original form once you have it."

Not wanting to talk anymore Link turned on the spot, once again feeling the lightness of his body, then pushed the large doors open and allowed streams of morning sunlight to come through. He shielded his eyes from the sudden change while out of the corner of his eye noticing the happy mask man was no longer here. Was he hiding or had he just left for now?

It didn't matter as Link was now staring at a large crowd of people moving all over the place. Somehow he had gone from the middle of the largest forest to a city of some kind just by following a tunnel.

The trees were dense but not dense enough to not see a city in the distance. Where was he? How did he get here? Fortunately there was someone to ask these questions to and he was almost certain he had about as many questions wanting to be asked about him.

For the moment, though, Link was still taking in his surroundings and just by looking ahead he could already guess this was a very big city. By looking at the sun Link could tell it was early morning (but it was the evening in the forest) and already people were working. The postman checking the mail, carpenters working on a small tower and venders at their stalls.

This was a big town and he already felt lost. Time to talk to the guide.

"Alright fairy."

"My name's Tatl." She quickly put in.

"Tatl, whatever. 20 questions. Rules are simple. Only big questions count, so little questions don't go towards the final 20. Things like 'why' can be big or small. Got it?"

"You get 20, I get 20. Let's play." Tatl said firmly.

"Right, where am I? Who are all of you and why are you still with me?" Link asked one after the other.

"Geez, what kind of a kid are you to ask that?"

"I asked first. I'll answer you later." Link responded.

"Fine, fine." She sighed. "Well we're in Termina, or more specifically Clock Town."

"Termina? Clock Town?"

"Ah, right. To you it is another world lying parallel to Hyrule. Here, no-one knows about Hyrule or the religion of the three goddesses and the Triforce just as your people know nothing of our world."

Another world? Was that possible? Then again some things did make sense. Evening had turned into dawn within an hour and the forest had vanished and been replaced with a city. Also all fairies were assigned to a Kokiri, and he saw two fairies with a skull kid meaning they were not created in the forest but originated in this world. That would also explain how Tatl knew of this world and the names.

"Wait, you said no-one knew of Hyrule's existence. How do you know of it?" Link inquisitively asked.

"Well for starters, I was in Hyrule when you saw me so no duh I know about it. Second, there are a few documents of when others passed through the portal and then returned to write down what they saw. It's not much, but enough to know a basic background of your land. Don't believe me? Well I can guess from your clothing, err, human clothing that you are a Kokiri."

He didn't need proof. Knowing the name Hyrule and the religion was enough but hearing her guess of him being a Kokiri made him wish to correct her, but bad memories stopped him in his tracks.

"Your next question, who are we. Well, I'm Tatl, as you know, and the other fairy is my brother Tael. Of course, you want to know more about the skull kid, don't you?" Link silently nodded. "Well, me and my brother met him a long time ago and instantly became friends. He loved to play around and make jokes. He was the kind of guy you could spend a day with and never get bored. Then, he found that mask." Her tone now softer and sadder.

Another thing that made sense. If that mask changed him then it had powers of some kind, which would explain how a normally weak skull kid could fly, have sharp reflexes and turn him into a deku scrub.

"Look, can we go somewhere else and talk about this?" Tatl asked. "I might get emotional and being in the middle of the town might not be the best place to talk, what with everyone hearing and all."

"Alright. You know this place better than me, you lead the way." Link ordered.

She didn't reply but instead fluttered ahead in a way that said "follow me". Link did so and allowed himself to enter the slight crowd of people as Tatl dodged and weaved her way to the other side. It looked easy to do, but dekus were bigger than fairies and Link was still unfamiliar with this new form. He found her again quickly, though, so he continued to follow the fairy up some steps and into another part of the town less busy than the first.

Oddly enough this seemed like the part of town that would be the busiest. There were many shops lined against the city walls, an Inn and other varying places that would bring people over.

_Must be because it's the early morning_. Link thought.

It seemed obvious enough that Tatl didn't want to talk here either as she showed no signs of slowing down. Neither did Link, but it didn't stop him from taking in his surroundings and just how well they were built.

The buildings seemed a similar quality to those in the Hyrule Market, some even greater. Back in Hyrule they were good quality so as to not let the magnificence of the castle be let down or made to look superior and its owners pompous. There was no castle or anything of main significance here so these must be ordinary buildings. This surprised Link partially to see a city like this with no royalty of any kind in sight. Perhaps Tatl could explain.

Up a few more steps and a left turn under an archway led to another part of town but far more quiet than the rest of it. There were hardly any buildings here, just a few small houses here and there. The rest was short-cut grass and a small play area for kids.

This seemed obvious enough that this was the kind of place Tatl would want to go to talk and this was proven true when she flew over to a shady spot under a large tree. Link followed; taking note of how the grass felt so much more comfortable than the stone he had previously been walking on.

"Alright, talk." Link demanded, not wanting to waste time on other small talk.

Tatl was sitting on a low branch coming out of the tree so she was comfortable, but only physically. Listening to Link talk partially reminded her of the harsh tone of the skull kid with the way he ordered her and Tael and how he sometimes threatened them. Despite that she still remembered the fun loving skull kid from long ago and believed that person would someday come back. For some reason, she had the same feeling with Link.

"Well, it started about a month or two ago. It feels much longer though." She didn't know why she said that last part, but it triggered no response from Link so she continued.

"We were in the woods, playing around and waiting for someone to jump out and surprise. We found it funny so we did it often. We'd gone further than we had before, though, so I urged the skull kid to go back a bit. None of us knew our way around Hyrule so we may get lost. He wouldn't listen though so we kept on going a little further. Through the trees we all saw something reaching up, something like a temple."

_The Forest Temple?_ Link's mind quickly guessed.

"We decided to check it out." Tatl continued "Seeing as we weren't sure if we would see it again and it looked cool. We entered to see it was just one big room. No doors or windows, just some kind of altar at the end with nothing on it. We got bored quickly so we left, and that's when we saw that weird man from earlier."

"The mask man." Link added.

Tatl nodded. "We didn't see him inside so we thought we'd jump on him and have our fun. We did so but accidentally knocked him out when the skull kid landed on that man's pack, pushing him to the ground.

"We were about to leave when the skull kid saw what the man was holding. It was that strange mask he wears now. Normally we jump on a person then run away laughing; we never stole from them. I don't know why he did then, but he picked up the mask, put it on and he's never been the same since."

Well, it didn't answer his question as he had hoped, but this seemed about all he was going to get. They're simply two fairies and a skull kid who happens to wear some kind of ancient and powerful mask. After all, if the happy mask man was out in the middle of nowhere and he had it, it had to have some kind of power even if it is small.

So, he knew where he was, what he was supposed to do and roughly what he was up against; but he still didn't have an answer to his last question. Now, though, should he ask it again or remain quiet to see if the fairy says anything else? The latter was the answer, and it did help.

"That mask allowed him to do things he could never do before. At first, when he was still himself, he learnt he could fly and used it to play with us some more, but the more he wore it the more he changed. He played with us less and less and he became quick to anger if we did something he didn't like. I was smart enough to stay out of his way and do as he said, but Tael was, no, still is too young and didn't think through what he did."

_Sounds like a younger me._ Link chuckled in his mind.

"A few weeks after getting that mask, we were back in the woods playing, which was a rare thing by then. He had tried to pickpocket someone in the town but was caught. I managed to stop him from hurting people, but he was still angry so he wanted to calm down by playing with us. I should have seen what was coming, but I foolishly didn't.

"Hide-and-seek, I had found a place to hide while Tael counted to find me later. Skull kid didn't want to play straight away, though, which upset Tael as the skull kid said he would. He kept on bugging him to play which was a big mistake as he got even madder and now Tael was here without me to protect him. I heard the scream of my brother so I flew back as fast as I could to see what was going on. He was lying on the ground, withering in pain. I could see the ground he lay on was black and slowly it was creeping on to him as well.

"I managed to talk to the skull kid and tell him he was sorry, and thankfully I was able to make him stop. But not before it was too late."

She sniffed. She turned her face to hide the few tears but it was obvious enough to Link and why she said she might get emotional. The funny thing was, Link was beginning to care.

"The shadow had already covered all his visible body besides his wings and he wasn't moving. I thought he was dead. Even his glow shone black. I swore to myself I would always be near him so I could protect him, but- but now..."

Listening to her croaky voice only made him care even more and he didn't even think back to the times with Navi. He was actually showing compassion and it wasn't selfish.

"So that's why you're still with me. I find the skull kid with my ocarina, you find your brother." Link said.

All she could do was nod. She couldn't speak right now and even if she could she didn't want to. She just wanted a friend to lean on, a shoulder to cry on and as if responding to it Link leant an arm out for Tatl to come and let it all out. Hesitancy had vanished as she leapt off and into Link's wooden chest letting her tears trickle down until they hit the ground.

It was a couple of minutes before she fluttered back to the branch she was sitting on and wiping her eyes of any tears still lingering on the edge of her pupils.

"Thank you." She whispered. "But now it's my turn to ask you some questions."

Link nodded then sat patiently for them.

"Alright, first up just who was that man back there? You seem to know him, so who is he?" Tatl asked intently.

"Oh, him? I don't know him as well as you think, but I do know him. Back in my world he ran a shop where he traded masks to people and liked by many people. Of course, when I first met him I thought of him as nothing more than that; a shop vendor. I was surprised he knew so much about me."

"You certainly looked it."

Link nodded again in agreement. He didn't seem to say much more after that so Tatl pressed him more with another question.

"He called you the Hero of Time. Apparently that must be some big deal or something, yet I've seen nothing about it from what I've read. What is the Hero of Time?" She asked.

Link was feeling better in a general way by talking to this fairy but if there was one question to bring him back down, it was that. He was going to answer it anyway, but he knew it was going to be a long time before he was done and he would not be feeling cheerful again afterwards either.

_Better start from the beginning. _He thought.

"Well, as you guessed I was a Kokiri and that is how I grew up. I wasn't very popular as this other Kokiri, Mido, kept bullying me..."

---

The mask glared down at the vast city of Clock Town below it. It could see all there was to see; the Inn, the park, the market square and all the little alleys with houses and shops crammed along side by side.

All of it lay beneath him and that's just how it liked to think.

"Skull kid, skull kid what are you doing? This isn't right!"

The skull kid turned to the dark fairy trapped within the invisible grip of his magic, the red eyes of the mask glowing.

"Isn't right? I'll tell you what isn't right!" The skull kid shouted. "Being imprisoned for 5000 years! That's what's not right!"

"Wh-What are you talking about?" Tael fearfully asked.

The mask chuckled slightly at the memory then winced ever so slightly as the memory continued. He floated up ahead a little allowing his feet to hover over the top of the Clock Tower while he looked up into the sky. He gazed a little longer, transfixed almost, then snapped out of it to talk back to the fairy.

"That is none of your...What are you doing?"

The skull kid had turned around to see Tael attempting something or other and only now had he noticed. Tael immediately stopped what he was doing to try and cover for himself but he knew he was too late and now he knew he was going to be in big trouble, especially with no Tatl to save him.

"N...Nothing." Tael said timidly

The skull kid easily saw through the pathetic bluff attempt instantly causing his eyes to glow in anger. They calmed slightly when he realized what Tael had been trying to do and realized it was nothing to rage about.

"You were trying to read my mind weren't you?"

"N-No. Of course not."

Despite being hidden by the mask Tael could tell there was a smile on the skull kid's face.

"Come now Tael, there's no need to lie to me. I can tell what you were doing. I'm curious, what did you find out? Lie to me again and I will punish you." The mask said calmly, almost friendly.

Tael was completely taken aback by this. The skull kid hadn't sounded friendly in a long time and now he was speaking calmly at a time when he should be punishing him the most. What was going on? Whatever it was, lying would not help him now so he told the skull kid the whole truth.

"I couldn't see much as you cut me off before I finished, but I did manage to see some things. I saw Termina, but it seemed like from an ancient time. 5000 years if I had to make a guess." Tael daringly said.

"You would guess correctly young fairy. You also speak the truth. Please continue."

So he did.

"I saw darkness cover the land and a strange shadow in the centre of it all. Before it could consume the entire land, I saw four giants come from each direction and stop the shadow with magic. That's all I got to see." Tael finished.

"There, you see? All you had to do was tell the truth and I won't get angry at you." Said the skull kid before turning around to look into the sky once more.

"Skull kid, can I ask you a question?" Tael asked.

He didn't move from his spot but he did reply to the fairy in a familiar harsh tone.

"That depends. What is the question?"

Tael's fear caught up to him and made him think this was a bad idea, but he had already started so he had to finish.

"Skull kid, who are you?" He shakingly asked.

Still not moving he chuckled slightly to himself before craning his neck further back and then replying to the fairy.

"You finally see what your dear, pathetic sister saw." Tael didn't say or do anything to this comment. "I am the shadow you saw in my mind. I existed 5000 years ago where I nearly achieved my goal of conquering the entire world and the worlds beyond through the portals. I am the first evil to ever set foot on this planet and that is something you should remember and fear.

"I," the skull kid continued "am Majora. The greatest sorcerer to ever exist and soon I shall be reborn to my former glory. Very soon...very soon."

The skull kid ended there leaving the poor, defenseless fairy to quiver and shake in fear at what had possessed the skull kid and of the powers he saw in his mind. The skull kid was looking up in the sky once more to see something the whole land could see.

The moon.


	4. Chapter 4: A Town in Panic

**Chapter 4: A Town in Panic**

Perhaps being mayor wasn't all it was cracked up to be. Mayor Dotour figured he would just be the person to solve the little arguments among the towns-people and organize events such as the carnival of time and other such things. He never knew he'd be stuck between two groups of people doing nothing but yell at each other and him be the one to stop it…somehow.

"Mayor, we have to evacuate the city. It's too big of a risk to let them all stay and possibly die!" One of the city guardsmen said.

"Pah, what a load of nonsense. The moon is going to fall, like that's going to happen!" The chief carpenter said.

"So you think that even though the moon is in plain sight for all to see even during the day you still say it won't fall? You're mad Mutoh!" Another guardsman said.

"Viscen, you are only listening to rumours. Remember the rumour that people spread about seeing a giant near the canyon so you nearly declared war on Ikana? And you call me mad!?" The chief carpenter Mutoh responded with.

"This is a completely different matter. The moon hangs over us as if wanting to crush us. Think about what happens if you're wrong. Every man, woman and child stays within the city walls and die because you didn't believe the people's concerns. Can you live with that?" The soldier known as Viscen retorted.

"But what if you're wrong, Viscen? The carnival would have to be cancelled! My men and I have been working for days to get things ready for the carnival and there are many other acts who have been booked that will have to stop as well! If we call the carnival off the city will enter an economic disaster with people demanding their money back which we might not have!" Mutoh yelled.

"Rather an economic crises than everyone dead." The first soldier added.

Both sides kept arguing, the soldiers looking out for the people's safety and the carpenters to keep the carnival going. Neither one wanted to let their side lose while the mayor sat in his chair behind his desk not knowing at all what to do. He couldn't side with the carpenters as he, too, was afraid the moon might fall. On the other hand, an economic disaster would not be good for the city and he would most certainly get the blame for allowing it to occur.

This 'meeting' had gone on for an hour already and Mayor Dotour was already tired of it, but too timid to stop it. He didn't know what to say and just hoped something would occur that would make them stop fighting, but hopefully not something bad such as the falling of the moon.

"Mayor!" Said a man who had just slammed the door open.

"Do you mind? We're in the middle of a meeting!" Viscen and Mutoh said together.

Mayor Dotour was glad for the sudden distraction and felt like this could slow or calm it down so he let this man take the floor.

"Yes Mr. Gorman, what is it?" Mayor Dotour asked.

"I just heard from your wife that my group, the Gorman troupe, have been cancelled! Is this true?" Mr. Gorman said angrily.

"Mr. Gorman, such a thing will only happen if we decide to evacuate the city. As you well know there are rumours suggesting that the moon may fall and destroy our beautiful city. If we believe this to be true, then we shall leave the city and, yes, the carnival and your act will be cancelled." Mayor Dotour explained.

"You- you can't do this to me! This is the only chance I have to make it big! How can you just cancel the biggest festival of the year just like that!?" A now enraged Gorman yelled.

"Mr. Gorman, please. Nothing has been decided yet; I am merely saying that it may be a possibility." Mayor Dotour continued to explain.

"You see mayor?" Mutoh called out. "It's things like this that could be disastrous to our economy! Many people won't be paid for shows and festivities as they are all cancelled, so people can not shop and keep the economy going!"

"Mutoh, you fool. You would choose money over the chance of life? Mayor, please. If we stay here we will all most certainly be crushed! And what about your wife?" Viscen pleaded.

Mayor Dotour was timid and found it difficult to make big decisions such as these, but when someone mentioned something such as family or something else close to him it was very apparent as to how he became mayor in the first place.

"Do _not_ bring my wife into this."

The firmness of his tone had everyone in the room fall silent. Even the angry Mr. Gorman was quiet and calm in the presence of a tough speaking mayor.

"When I married her I chose her out of every other woman in the city, but when I became mayor I chose the entire city including her to cherish and protect. Do not think that the safety of my wife will make me change my decision for as mayor, I cannot hold one life higher than the lives of all my citizens. I would expect better of you, Captain Viscen."

Captain Viscen lowered his head in shame while the carpenter Mutoh looked at him smugly, as if he had won something. A quick look at the mayor, who was now looking at Mutoh with an equally shaming stare, showed he had not won anything at all.

"This meeting is now over. Leave me to make my decision."

Everyone in the mayor's office left to resume what they were previously doing, except Mr. Gorman who stood nervously by the door.

"Err, mayor, what about my troupe?" He shyly asked.

"Leave me to make my decision." The mayor said firmly.

"Uh, yes sir."

Mr. Gorman left in a timid state, but a moment later when he had left the building he returned to his usual, grumpy old self. A moment later and the mayor had returned to his usual state as well where he began to think long and hard about whether he should evacuate the city or keep the carnival of time running and risk certain doom.

---

"So then I had to slide down a long, steep tunnel just so I could enter the Fire Temple. I'll tell you, it was not a comfortable landing"

Link and Tatl had spent the many hours of the morning talking and looking around for the skull kid in case they would suddenly have a lead. No such luck came to them yet, though.

Tatl was enjoying listening to Link's story of him being a hero and of what he had done throughout time. She also asked small questions about some details here and there which made her enjoy it even more, however it became more difficult when Link told her of when he was sealed away for 7 years and of how he felt when he emerged.

The feeling of having time flow past you and not being able to experience it. 7 years of his life had been and gone and he didn't get the chance to live them to the fullest. He hardly even lived them!

Talking again became hard when he mentioned the loss of Saria, his best friend ever and love, then harder again when he told Tatl about learning he wasn't actually a Kokiri but a Hylian, meaning he could not return to the forest and live forever.

Despite all that, though, she was glad to hear about his past as it gave her a better view of him and helped her to understand Link more. She had wondered why Link felt so empty and emotionless, but losing the things most precious to a person might make any person feel the same way. Of course, any person wouldn't be given a destiny to save the world and go through such trauma in the first place.

He seemed to have picked up again, though, and was telling the story with a little happiness, or no sadness and hatred, which was a plus. It was impossible to tell how long these moments would last, but she had learned throughout life that it was best to enjoy the good moments while they last and not think how long they will last for. The skull kid taught her that.

"So then I-…"

Link had kept on talking during Tatl's thoughts but had now suddenly stopped. She guessed a pause or something like this meant something bad had happened, but it seemed so cut off that it felt something was wrong now, not in his story.

"Uh, Link? Link are you-"

"Who are you?" Link quickly said, almost ignoring Tatl's words.

"What? Link, you know who I am. I'm Tatl. Link, what's-"

"You haven't answered my question." Link quickly said again.

"Link, what are you talking about? Are you alright?" Tatl asked.

She was beginning to get worried now. Link hadn't acted like this at all since she had met him and something like this hadn't come up in his story so this was completely new to her. She was talking to him but he wasn't even listening, or that's how it seemed anyway. She felt like she couldn't do anything to get through to him, and she'd be right.

"I see." Link said. "Why do you feel it necessary to speak with me?"

"Link, you were talking to me! What is going on? Tell me!"

But he didn't. Instead he kept on looking ahead for a few seconds, then a glance towards Tatl, but not in acknowledgement. In that glance Tatl could tell Link had never been talking to her in the first place. She had guessed that much when he asked 'who are you', but still felt like she should reply and see if she was wrong.

"Where?"

Link seemed to look blankly into the distance now, not that there was one as he seemed to be looking directly at the city wall. Tatl had now given up on talking to him all together which would seem silly to do so here in hindsight as the odd daze Link had entered was about to come to an end.

A blink of the eyes was enough to show that he had come back to his senses and that he had, indeed, been in some kind of trance throughout the one-sided conversation with an invisible voice. To Link, though, it seemed like nothing had happened.

"So then I slammed the Megaton Hammer on his head and-"

"Link, what were you doing?" Tatl asked.

Link looked confused at the question as, to him, he was explaining what he was doing. She could be referring to that voice he had spoken to, but it had said it was him, in a sense, so how could Tatl hear what was in Link's head?

"What do you mean what was I doing? I was telling you about when I was in the Fire Temple." Link explained.

"No, no. Before that. You were talking normally then you started talking to someone."

"You- you heard that?" Link said with astonishment.

"Only what you were saying, and it didn't make any sense to anything I said so I figured you were talking to someone else. What was that about?"

He had spoken aloud? He thought that if the voice was speaking to him in his head, then he would speak back in his head too. He didn't realize that what he said could be heard by all around him. It's a good thing he didn't reveal anything to make the situation even more difficult.

Then again, the voice hadn't said much to make this conversation difficult anyway so he was safe no matter what he said.

He wished he wasn't though. He would much rather prefer knowing everything and risk others knowing than knowing practically nothing and nobody else knowing.

He might as well tell her what had happened, he thought. After all, if not much had happened at all in terms of personal information then what difference would it make if this little fairy knew? There was also the matter that if what this voice said was true, then Tatl knew just as little about what Skull kid had planned than he did, yet she would know enough to help him with the matter that the voice brought up. If only he knew what this voice actually was.

"I heard something, in my head. A voice." Link said.

"A voice? Are you sure it wasn't someone behind you or something?"

"No, I'm sure of it. It said it knew about what the skull kid had planned."

"Planned?" Tatl exclaimed. "Skull kid doesn't have anything planned. He just steals from people and pulls pranks. He never said he had anything planned."

Just as the voice had said. Tatl knew even less about what the skull kid was up to than anyone else. Except whoever this new person was. It agitated Link to hear that this voice did not 'feel a need to reveal himself' but also knew not to pick a fight with someone he could not see or gauge their strength. Especially when stuck in a restricting form.

"Yeah. It said something about him having plans but he didn't know exactly what they were. It said something about seeing an astronomer."

"Oh yeah, I know him! He lives just off the east part of town! Come on, I'll lead you to him." Tatl said, seemingly excited.

_See. You would do well to trust me more in the future._

It was much more clearer this time and it didn't send him into another trance like before. What worried him more was the fact that it actually knew Link didn't entirely trust the voice in his head. I mean, if you heard a voice in your head that you didn't recognise, would you completely trust it straight away? Link wouldn't, and somehow this voice could sense that.

He managed to shrug the worry off soon, though, as he had experienced the same mistrust with strangers before and this was the same except he couldn't see the person. He had experienced voices in his head before too, but this was by far the most odd. The other voices had been tied to his destiny but now that he was free of it, why could he still hear voices in his head now?

It was something he would think about while following Tatl to the astronomer and discover whatever this voice had been looking for.

---

Every now and then he would try to break free of his magical prison, but each time proved that pushing alone would do nothing. At first the skull kid yelled at Tael for trying to escape, but when he tried and failed again later, he decided to let Tael try for all the worthless good it would do.

Tael was beginning to realise this himself, hence why his attempts grew less frequent as time passed.

He decided to give it one more shot before giving up for now, then trying again when he had more strength. Flying through the space he was allowed, then attempting to push through the boundaries set in place by the evil Majora.

"How many futile attempts do you require before you realise you have no hope?" Majora asked.

Tael kept on pushing until he felt drained of his energy, causing him to collapse to the floor. He couldn't even fly right now.

"How many legends does it take to show that evil never wins?" Tael asked in response.

"Why you little pest!" Majora said through clenched teeth.

He curled his hand as if holding something then threw it up, throwing Tael up as a consequence to the magic Majora was conjuring. A swift motion of the hand and Tael was back on the ground again, panting to get his breath back.

"Don't you ever talk that way to me again! I will not tolerate it!" Majora shouted.

He didn't know why he was getting so angry over a small, pathetic fairy but something about Tael had changed and it was something he did not like. He was becoming more like his sister. Mentally stronger, more confident and pushing against the boundaries instead of resting and knowing where his place is.

Why did this fairy matter anyway? It couldn't possibly be anything connected to the host body, the skull kid. Majora had taken over that completely so there was no way it could be that.

"Why don't you kill me?" Tael asked between breaths.

Majora had had enough for now. He raised his hand and slammed it down towards the ground, the invisible hand doing the same over Tael's weak body. He was out cold, not dead like he dared Majora to be.

Why didn't he kill him? Because he needed him. Majora desired for the boy to reach him so that he could gauge his strength for himself. He had lost control for that moment in the cave allowing only the deku curse and not death so this boy was truly lucky to be alive. Majora was interested because this boy had hoped to stand against him and showed great strength for such a small boy.

He had also heard the legends of the Ocarina of Time, the instrument that now lay in _his_ hands but would not work for him. The reason, he guessed, would be because it worked for near all people, save those born from darkness.

Majora wished to see Link and to show that he could not be stopped. That this would be a legend like no other. One in which evil does finally win even when the light stood right before him! All he needed now was for them to arrive.

That other fairy would bring Link right to him just because she wants to see her brother again and that was the reason why Tael was still alive.

Regardless Tatl would still come looking whether Tael was alive or dead and when she did arrive and see, Majora would still have what he wanted so it wouldn't matter. He could kill Tael right now and everything would still be to plan. It might go even more smoothly than expected, so why didn't he kill Tael?

No matter how much he racked his mind Majora could not come up with a solution.

It had to be because of the skull kid. There was no other explanation. Majora never felt remorse or any other compassionate emotion of any kind so why would he only knock out this fairy when he could easily kill him? It had to be due to some lingering memories of the pathetic skull kid.

_Gah, why am I wasting my time on this little runt anyway? The entire town can see it now and in a matter of days this world and all others will be mine! I must concentrate on my goals._

Tael still lay on the roof of the Clock Tower in a state of unconsciousness while a confused Majora continued to plot his dark and deadly plans.

---

Tatl had led Link to the eastern part of town – the part which Link thought would be the busiest – and then down into the network of alleyways leading into the nooks and crannies of town. It was here where they could find the way to the astronomer.

Already Clock Town seemed far more complex than Hyrule showing off just how advanced this world must be in comparison to his own.

The conversation with the voice had allowed Link to slip back to his old ways slightly and now that he was walking but not talking to take his mind off things he had almost completely reverted to the cold, emotionless self that he was once he learned that his best friend had gone.

Tatl seemed completely oblivious to this as she continued to lead Link through the winding passages of the dark city, as it was called. The main reason being that it was mainly dark in the alleys with not much light coming in, and that some shifty characters did business in these small alleys so they were avoided when possible. Apparently this was a shortcut.

A more happier Link might find this setting unnerving, but the cold Link felt as comfortable here as a fish is to water. In the shadows one could hide without being seen or noticed and where one could do what he wanted in secret and privacy. A place where people could be left alone and be forgotten.

"Come on. We're almost there!" Tatl cried.

Link had slowly fell behind with his mind chilling over again so he allowed himself to quicken his pace and turn the corner Tatl was indicating to. He ran right up to it, turned and crashed straight into someone standing where Link had thought to be open pathway.

"Hey, watch it scrub!" The person said.

"Watch it yourself! We're trying to get through here kid!" Tatl yelled back.

Picking his light and frail deku form off the ground Link managed to get a better look at the person he had just ran into. It turned out it was just a kid – aged 8 if he had to guess – wearing a simple blue and white shirt and blue shorts to match.

They both came to roughly the same height, but Link would have been slightly taller were he human but it didn't stop him from looking intimidating, even for a deku.

He just stood up and glared at the boy with narrow, cold eyes that even this child could tell were merciless.

"L-look, mister. I'm sorry but I was told to guard this place and help protect the astronomer." The boy stuttered.

"Who told you?" Anyone who paid attention could detect some anger amongst the coldness of his tone.

"Our parents. They said we should help the city by protecting our friends, so that's what we're doing. Honest!"

"I don't care what your parents said. I need to get through here and you are going to move. Now!"

"N-n-no."

Link didn't care anymore. He raised his arm and punched the boy around the face, knocking him down. He had wondered if he had given the boy splinters, attacking with a wooden arm and all, but then remembered that he didn't care and just walked off behind the boy.

Tatl couldn't believe what she saw. It was like watching the skull kid all over again. He knew what he wanted and if you angered him or didn't do as he said, violence would be his answer. And these boys were roughly the same age! Anybody who believed in the innocence of childhood should have seen this and instantly thought their theory was wrong.

But, was this what she wanted to do? Tatl stayed with the skull kid even after he got the mask because she wanted to protect her brother, who didn't want to leave the skull kid. Now she was travelling with Link to find and protect her little brother once more, but at the rate Link was going would he just give up on this insane quest and become another skull kid?

Then there was the current situation of what was going on now. Link had just hit this defenceless boy down to the ground and was now walking off. Her one chance at finding her brother was walking down into the underground, so should she follow him into the depths of the earth or stay above and help this beaten child?

She fluttered down to the boy's ear and whispered "I'm sorry" then left to catch up with Link.

She found Link near the point where what little sunlight from the outside came to a rest separating shadow from light. Dekus had better eye-sight than humans but they still had trouble seeing in the dark so he waited for Tatl to come and light his way.

"What took you?"

"Sorry. I took a hit from some water from a drain above. Took a moment to get back in the air."

It was a lie. A very obvious lie considering Link had been with a fairy before and knew how little rain affected fairies, but few people knew that.

Why she lied she didn't know right away but the fact that she did confused her. She had never lied to the skull kid but instead tried to calm him down when she needed to and play with Tael most other times.

Maybe it was because she remembered the good skull kid, but she had never seen the good Link so she had nothing to hope for in him. It may also be because she was afraid what Link might do to her if she told him she questioned going with him.

Was this what Tael felt? Feeling he would have to lie or do something else out of fear of what might become him? Tael was alone and Tatl was coming to protect him and cover for him, but who was coming for her? Who was coming to protect and cover for her? Why did she feel so alone right now?

Right now it didn't matter as she would have to keep following this strange boy with a dark past until she found her brother and could restore her old life. A life where she had to keep a 24/7 watch over her younger brother and make sure he wasn't being hurt by the horrid skull kid.

This is what she wanted?

She loved her brother and wanted to be with him again, but was this a life really worth searching the world to restore? She was beginning to question her attempt of what she was doing. Everywhere she went she was always stuck with some weird kid who bullied others without regret and she always put up with it. Maybe she should just fly away and start her own life, away from the bullies running her life into the ground.

Yeah, that was it. Just run away and start again. She would stay with Link until they were done with the astronomer and then she would fly away where no-one could find her.

"Come on, fairy. I need light."

Tatl's trail of thought made her fall behind slightly making the path in front of Link harder to see. Fortunately the one call was enough to snap her back to the physical world so she caught up before Link would call again, know something was wrong and quickly learn that Tatl had considered abandoning him.

Now that she had been brought back, she had the opportunity to look on her thoughts with a mind not enveloped by them. Abandon Link? He was the only one capable of getting that mask of the skull kid and turning him back to his previous self. That was the same reason she could not abandon the skull kid but to leave her little brother alone with him? How could she have been so heartless!

She couldn't remember how that trail of thought had started but she had a guess it might also be similar to the way Link thinks through things now. The only reason why there was nobody to call to him and snap him out of it was because he had nothing left to hold on to, except the prospect of finding his old friend but he had already said himself that the odds were slim. After all, he was searching one of the biggest forests in the entire kingdom.

Tatl only hoped that Link would someday find his old fairy and get the second chance at life he was deservedly given.

"Alright. We're here."

Tatl had led the way for another 10 minutes or so until they finally saw an opening at the end of the tunnel leading to the astronomer's observatory. Link was beginning to get tired with walking through these sewer-like tunnels and it was easy to see, but the prospect of reaching their destination made him less agitated than he was now. A good thing as talking badly to the astronomer would have proven to be a bad idea.

"Hello? Is anybody here?" Tatl called out.

At first there was no reply so they both continued to walk further in to find themselves in a large circular room. It looked quite shabby and run down with piles of straw and boxes and other strange and random things. The walls had turned from stone to earth with boards of wood holding it back but the floor had retained the stony feel to it.

"Jim? Have you come to pay me a visit?" An aged voice from above replied.

_No. _Tatl thought. _He won't come and see you for a little while. At least not until he knows Link has gone._

"No. We're not from town. We heard about you and hoped you might be able to help us."

To Tatl's surprise, it was Link who said that. How can he threaten a child then push him to the ground but now be kind and courteous to an old man? It didn't make sense!

It did to Link though. One of his philosophies is that courtesy is given to those who give it first. The child was rude and so Link was rude back. This old man was nice so Link would be nice in return. However this also depended on his current mood as well, so if someone was nice to him when he was in a sour mood, he might not be nice in return due to the anger he would currently be harbouring.

"Oh, you've heard of me? Well come in! Come in. Make yourself at home; I'll be down in just a moment." The old man said.

Link did as the man said and sat down on one of the bundles of hay. Like the grass in the park, he noticed just how comfortable and soft it was just by stepping on a clump of it. Tatl felt slightly uneasy about sitting next to the boy that seemed to change so quickly, but kept feeling like she could sense her thoughts so she joined him instead of backing away.

Only a minute later and the old man could be heard coming down the wooden staircase. He did look old, but not in a bad way. He had white hair ending just above his neck and a friendly face not absorbed in wrinkles or spots. He was currently wearing a blue gown reaching down to his feet and a pair of lighter blue slippers.

"Oh, Dreek! I didn't realise it was you. If I remember rightly you said you would be here a couple of days ago. Got a little lost did you?" The old man asked.

"A little."

"Well when I receive a request to help the academy's top student I can't help but say yes. What can I do for you Dreek?"

"We have observed the strange things occurring with the moon and we all fear many things about what this may mean. We were hoping you and your telescope could be of use to us." Link said.

"Oh, yes of course. Unfortunately one of the lenses is damaged right now and the replacement won't arrive until tomorrow evening. If only you had come two days ago."

"I see. Well, thank you for offering me your aid professor."

"Oh, you're leaving? I was hoping for the chance to catch up."

"As sharp as ever. I have a place at the local Inn and I wish to do a bit more sightseeing for now. Perhaps we can talk again tomorrow evening when the lens arrives."

"Yes yes, quite. So many things to do with the carnival so close. Alright then, tomorrow it is. Thank you for stopping by."

To which the conversation ended there and "Dreek" left through where he came. But what on earth was going on? Link hadn't said any of those things out there. Strange things about the moon? What did it matter when it was so far away and out of everyone's reach?

He wasn't 100 sure but Link guessed that whoever it was talking was the same person who had told him to go to the old man in the first place. It would make sense why it would suddenly start speaking there and sound like he knew the 'professor'.

But, if that were the case then whoever this voice belonged to could control Link's body and make him say the things he said. That would mean that the soul wasn't used for energy but merged with him as well. This skull kid was so powerful as to merge two bodies _and_ souls together? There were very few beings who could mess with souls so to realise a measly skull kid could do this to him certainly shocked him.

This would certainly be something he would have to talk about with 'Dreek' or whoever this person was and determine just what he could do.

Dreek knew this, too, but decided to wait a moment and let other things happen before he spoke up. Things such as questions from a very confused Tatl.

"Link, how did you know all that stuff? You're not the top student at the deku academy!" Tatl burst out with.

"That wasn't me. Someone was controlling what I said and did. I was powerless to do anything."

"What?! Who?" Tatl blurted out again.

"I don't know. Let's just forget about it for now and-."

_Looks like you'll have to wait until tomorrow before you can find that little imp._

It was that voice again. The same one that said to go to the observatory in the first place. Link hadn't realised but he had just cut himself off mid-sentence and now Tatl was beginning to see and worry about it again.

"Who are you?" Link asked aloud. Tatl remained silent and only listened to one half of the conversation.

_I told you I feel no need to tell you right now._

"Things have changed. Now tell me."

There was a pause for all. Tatl assumed it was a long response but Link knew that there was nothing being said at all, as if this voice was thinking things over and deciding what to say.

_Alright._ It said at last. _But let's not leave your fairy friend in the dark this time, shall we?_

Link didn't even have time to respond to it before the voice had once again taken control over Link's body turning him into a spectator only able to watch.

"My name, as you might have already guessed, is Dreek. I am the top student at the deku academy and a high ranked member of the deku royal guard, despite my apparent age. I showed great skill and intelligence so I worked my way up quickly." Dreek began.

"Hey, I heard about some deku who became the youngest commander in history recently. That was you?" Tatl suddenly said. The fact that she was talking to someone else besides Link had set in but the fact that she was now talking to a well known member of the deku guard was still sinking in.

"Yes, that is true. As for the question your friend Link so desperately wants to ask, I am here to stop the one who cursed you. I was sent by the academy to investigate the moon as it was drawing closer to our world and we grew concerned. Once I entered town I stumbled into the Clock Tower wondering if there may be a connection to the world beyond. Yes, some scholars know of Hyrule.

"Unfortunately, that is where I also met the skull kid alone and lost my life to him. Luck seemed to shine on me only days later when you stumbled along and wound up being tied to me and transforming you into your current state. I have you to thank for that little fairy."

"M-me? What did I do?" Tatl replied, taken aback.

"You had an influence on the skull kid that could, at times, bring out a brighter side to him. Link, when the skull kid had you in his sights he was going to kill you outright, but a part of him not corrupted by the mask shone through and sent my body and soul into yours. Before he did, he asked me something."

"What?" Link asked. Link's voice came out of the same snout as Dreek but the pitch and tone were different making telling them apart possible.

"He asked me to help you regain your body and to save himself from the mask that he now wears. It is a cursed mask known to some as Majora."

A cursed mask. That explains where the skull kid got his power from. It would also explain why the happy mask man would not want to retrieve it as well, since he would be facing an incredible power that now has a host body.

At least now Link partially knew what he was up against. A cursed mask with enough power to mingle with the souls of any being at will. Yeah, real comforting.

This would have to wait until later, though. Right now he had learned he was sharing his body with another and this deku was spilling the beans on who he was. He better take this opportunity to learn as much as he can.

"So how can you do what you are doing now?" Link asked.

"I personally don't know myself how I can do them, I just know I can. I can speak to your mind, I can read it as well so I know what you think and what you know, and I can also take control of the body like I am doing now. I believe that is the extent of what I can do. I also believe it can work the other way around, for example you can read my thoughts and speak to my mind."

Well that was encouraging. If he didn't believe what this deku was saying then he could read his thoughts to double check and make sure it was true. It also comforted him to know he wasn't as powerless as he previously thought.

So, he knew what he was up against, in a vague sense, he knew everything that was going on with him and he knew that his best chance at finding the skull kid would not come until the next evening. The question now was what to do in the meantime; talk more with this deku who knows the land seemingly more than Tatl or perhaps talk to her more to understand the skull kid more.

"I wasn't lying about that room in the local Inn. Perhaps we can go there and discuss a strategy." Dreek suggested.

Now that was a good idea. A militaristic idea, but a good one none-the-less.

During the talk they had slowly been walking through the tunnel leading back to the outside and now that they were done, they had just reached the end. As they walked out Link noticed that the boy he had pushed down had gone – for the best – but made him want to ask something.

_If you can control my body when you will it, why didn't you stop me from hurting that kid?_ Link asked to Dreek's mind. He didn't feel like adding Tatl to this conversation, predicting word for word her answer.

_Because I can also read your thoughts and I agreed that it was necessary to hurry instead of waste time._

If he had a mouth, a smile would be spreading across his face right now. A young boy with a good intellect and a militaristic attitude making sure they did what they needed to do with no interruptions. He was going to like this deku and he was going to be very useful as well.


	5. Chapter 5: Dreams

**Chapter 5: Dreams**

The sun was beginning to set on the land which would cause the moon to rise from the other side, were it not already hanging in the sky already. Link was sitting by the window of his, or rather Dreek's room looking out to the moon above him.

How could he have not seen it earlier? It was big enough to not miss when you looked, but Link hadn't looked so he hadn't seen it. Now that he was, though, he wasn't feeling what everyone else seemed to feel. Panic. Fear. Concern. None of these were passing through his head at all. He hardly paid any attention to it at all as if it weren't falling at all.

Right now he was just looking outside as there was nothing interesting to see inside. Sure he could go outside and walk around himself, but with only two more nights to the carnival the streets were still busy even at night and crowds were not his thing.

It all seemed so peaceful one floor up from the ground where there were no sounds or scents or things to distract him. He could just sit here and be at peace.

If it weren't for the fact that he wasn't alone but sharing his body with another.

He did have to commend Dreek for getting them in here after a potential mistake that could have had them outside instead.

Link and Tatl had entered the Inn, following Dreek's instructions to say who he is then go up. Automatically Link said his own name, to which there was a Link but a goron Link. Not a deku. Fortunately Dreek took over and managed to correct it before it looked like they were trying to take someone else's room which lead them to their upstairs room and to a discussion of what to do.

The plan had been to stay in the room for the moment and learn of the city from Tatl, then look for some leads the next day before ending with another visit to the astronomer.

This sounded fine to Link as he had spent most of the day talking with Tatl about his quest to save Hyrule, which Dreek could see and not need to be told, and felt like having time to think to himself instead of talking more of his past. Especially since he was nearing his confrontation with his dark side and that would not be an easy subject to talk about without consequences.

_Are you alright?_

Dreek. He would talk to Link every now and again just to start a conversation and try to break the unnerving silence. He hadn't asked a question like this yet which, to Link, suggested that Dreek seemed concerned about Link more than the moon threatening to destroy them all.

"I'm fine." Link replied.

_That's what you say, but not what you think._

"If you knew that then why did you ask?"

_Curiosity. Analysis of the mind. And I hoped to get a response out of you._

Well he certainly had that now. He could try and brush him off, but as he had proven in earlier conversations he did not quit so easily.

"So what did my mind tell you?" Link asked out of curiosity.

_That you hate your past. What you once were and that you feel you're doing the same thing again with this skull kid and his mask._

"I can't keep secrets from you can I?" Link said half jokingly, half seriously.

_Neither can I._

It took a moment for Link to realise that, then another to read all the surface thoughts of Dreek's mind.

"Are _you_ alright?"

…_What do you mean?_

"This isn't really you is it. You were a member of the military so that explains your current attitude, but you were also a student in a top school which should balance your emotions out. The fun-loving school side of you has gone so something is wrong."

Dreek remained silent choosing to think instead of speak. Link didn't though.

"You lost someone, or pushed someone away because of who you were. You decided to embrace the part that could keep the others out and yourself in. You decided it would cause too much pain to hold on to a false hope while ignoring the problem would also ignore the pain."

Again, silence.

"Pain never goes away by simply ignoring it. If you lose something, don't mourn it, go after it."

For the last time, there was silence but Link didn't attempt to break it this time. He had gotten his point across and just talking about this made something else come to his mind. Something he now realised he hadn't thought about all day.

_Look, can we just go to sleep now? I think I've had enough talk for today._

Seeing he might have gone a little too far, Link complied with the request and clambered into the large bed for the first night's sleep in a long time.

---

_As the blue light faded, he released his clutch on the now large blade and let himself fall back a step to get a good look at it. The Master Sword, now resting in its pedestal once again where it shall remain for what was hoped to be forever._

"_It's over. It's finally over." The boy said._

"_Yeah. All is as it should be. No Ganondorf, no war and everything is back to the way it once was."_

_Both the boy and the fairy sighed in relief and happiness after knowing that their work was complete. _Back to the way it was. _Those words seemed to echo in their minds as it sunk its way in, although for the fairy it meant something else._

"_Everything." The fairy dazedly said, quickly followed with a gasp. "The Great Deku Tree! He must be alive! If we were sent back to a time where there is no Ganondorf, then the Great Deku Tree was never cursed so he is still alive!"_

_The boy grinned at that logic and thought of the other things that would have changed as well. Dodongo's Cavern would not be sealed so the gorons would not be on the verge of extinction. Jabu Jabu would be alive and well, so Ruto would not have needed to enter and chaos would not have continued. The Great Deku Tree was the most important to both of them, being the boy's previous protector, but the fairy had a closer connection. The Great Deku Tree created all the fairy guardians in the forest and when this fairy had to watch the Great Deku Tree die in front of her eyes, she was devastated. But now, with an opportunity to see her creator she cared so much for again, there was little she could do to contain her excitement, which the boy very easily saw._

"_Go." The boy said while smiling._

"_Huh?"_

"_Go. Go and see him. Being the hero meant I lost people very close to me. Saria, Darunia, Ruto. Well, Ruto was a little weird, but I'm not going to see any of them ever again. You lost the Great Deku Tree but now you can see him again after such a long journey I dragged you in to. Go and see him again." The boy said while still smiling._

"_But Link, you're not coming with me?" The fairy asked._

"_Don't worry Navi, I'll catch up to you later. There's still one person here I can see and despite having been sent back by her, I still feel I need to say thank you." Link replied_

"_But, Zelda won't know anything about it. What's the point?"_

"_She's a sage. She might have sent herself back as well, or something odd. I dunno, but I still want to see her. You go, I'll catch up later." Link persisted._

_Realising she wasn't going to change Link's mind, and how much quicker she could go if she flied alone rather than slow down for Link, she flew out through the Door of Time and left to her home and father, the Great Deku Tree. Link watched his fairy friend as she flew out of the Temple and again smiled, knowing his quest was over and now they were free to do what they want. No destiny to guide them and lead them into a life of peril, death and sorrow. He turned to look at the Master Sword once more before walking out, muttering something to himself._

"_My destiny is over. You don't control me anymore."_

_He left the Temple of Time without looking back once with the sound of the wind blowing and the Door of Time grinding shut behind him, sealing his destiny at last._

_The pale, white tiles of the Temple of Time and that odd aura made him fell much calmer after having battled the King of Evil and helped seal him away in the Dark Realm, but the blissful breeze of a peaceful world and wonderful flowers lining the pathway reminded Link just how long he had been deprived of a peaceful environment._

_Taking in all he could, Link kept on walking the pathway and allowing his thoughts to wonder through the incredible journey he had followed and all the trials he had overcome. The friends he had made, the places he had been to. The friends that he lost, the love he had lost._

"_Saria. I'm never going to see you again, am I? Darunia, my sworn brother. Ruto, my fiancé. Everyone who ever helped me or shared feelings with me is gone. Only Zelda and Malon are left, and I couldn't live with either one of them."_

_The calm path now turned into the bustling streets of Hyrule Market square where he could eventually find his way to the castle and the princess Zelda. But, now that he thought about it, did he really want to see her? She had sent him back in time for another go at childhood, but for what good? He now knew he was a Hylian so going back to the forest would only mean he would grow and eventually not be accepted, being forced out. If he stayed, there would be no-one here to look after him. He had no family, no city friends and he was only a child of 10 so nobody would accept him for work or even take him seriously. What had Zelda done? She sent him back to nothing. There was nothing for him in this time, he was alone._

_On the other hand, if she didn't send him back the damage Ganon had done would still have left it's mark on the world and he would have the same as he had now, only the entire kingdom was practically destroyed meaning everyone would have nothing. He was upset for knowing there was nothing here for him, but he was glad he didn't have to see the long repairs and the poor dying from the diseases and famine that had occurred during Ganon's reign._

"_I still want to see her." He said to himself._

_With his mind made up, he walked into the bustling market place and weaved his way to the north to see the one who had helped him through his quest. The princess Zelda. _

_---_

_Flying as fast as she could, Navi crossed the vast, somewhat dull, Hyrule field to go and see the Great Deku Tree after many months of adventuring with Link. She was there when Link's mother came to the forest as a desperate plea to save her son, even at the cost of her own life. She knew that it was her job to secretly look over this child and help him once the Great Deku Tree thought it was time for destiny to occur, and Navi was always glad it was her job._

_The two of them had their ups and downs. After Link lost Saria to the Temple of Sages, it was Navi who was there to comfort him and help him through it. When Navi was knocked out by a monster in the Fire Temple, it was Link who managed to catch her and prevent her from falling into the molten lava below them. They made an excellent pair and she was glad to be his fairy partner._

_Now she was going home to meet the one she lost and the one who chose her to go with Link, the boy who has had the biggest effect on her entire life. The sun was beginning to set and she had just flown over the border of the forest looking as wonderful as it once was. She was going to fly right to the Great Deku Tree and tell him all about what she and Link went through, spend the night at the forest to rest after a non-stop flight then fly back the next day to try and find Link._

_Flying over the trees she finally reached the Kokiri Village and gave a few quick hellos before continuing on and finding the Great Deku Tree in a wonderful splendour. No longer was it grey with yellow and brown leaves falling off its branches, but a healthy brown with bright green leaves covering the top and giving it a vast canopy that shaded over half of the large grotto-like area it was growing in._

"_Great Deku Tree! Great Deku Tree! I'm back!" She screamed, flying over the small pathway and stopping to float near the widening exit into the grotto._

"_Navi? Navi the fairy? Where is't Link?" The Great Deku Tree asked curiously._

"_Link? Oh, he's still in the Hyrule Castle going to see Zelda again. He wanted to say thank you for sending him back. I came to tell you all about our journey!"_

_The Great Deku Tree's face grew sullen as all do when delivering bad news. Someone would have to have done it at some point, but it didn't make it any easier._

"_Navi, thou can'st return to Link." He said firmly._

"_What? What are you talking about? Of course I can go back to him. Sure it may take me a while to find him but I'll find him eventually."_

"_No Navi. Thou can'st return to Link."_

_This time Navi understood, but wished she didn't now that she had heard it. The one who told her to watch over Link and to be his partner was now saying she could never see Link again._

"_W-why?" Navi seemed to whisper._

"_Throughout thy quest, destiny looked kindly upon thee and guided thee to thine goal. Both of thee were essential so destiny protected thee as well as guided thee. Now that thy destiny is complete, thou no longer has thy divine protection to guard thee and death could occur."_

"_W-what are you t-trying to say?" Navi said, on the verge of tears at this news._

"_Travelling with Link is perilous now. Thou can'st return to him." The great Deku Tree finished._

_So, that catch in the Fire Temple? The narrow escape from the Iron Knuckle? All of that was destiny and not Link? No. No, it couldn't be. Link went to protect her and saved her those times because he wanted to, not because of destiny. Link always kept going on about free choice and destiny not guiding them. It must be that. Destiny didn't save her, Link did. The Great Deku Tree was wrong. He must be. He must be!_

"_No. No, you're wrong. Link saved me all those times and he will again. I'll show you. You're wrong. You're WRONG!" Navi screamed._

_She darted off into the forest without thinking, tears now lining her eyes and occasionally blinding her. She didn't care where she was going now, she just wanted to be with Link and show that she didn't need destiny to keep her alive. She liked Link, no, loved him like family and she was never going to give that up for the world. She'd find him. She'd find him._

---

_That mask. That horrid, dark mask. Now it was even haunting her in her dreams._

_Tatl was floating in a dark abyss just like Link when he was being cursed with no-one around to protect her or give her strength. No Tael, no Link and no skull kid. She was alone and petrified because of it._

_However she wasn't really alone. Sitting right in front of her was the dark mask that the skull kid constantly wore, except it seemed motionless and dull. This was what she wanted, for the life of the mask to vanish and stop influencing the skull kid, so why did seeing it like this only intensify her fears? That was what she kept wishing for._

"_I can grant your wish."_

_Tatl didn't need to look around to know where the voice came from, but it didn't stop her from doing so anyway. A moment later and she was staring straight at the mask again, unable to move out of fear and the magic of the mask._

"_I can grant any wish with my power as I have no limitations. I shall show you."_

_The bright yellow eyes of the mask flashed turning the dark abyss into a blinding light for just a second, then the darkness took over once again. Tatl had managed to raise an arm to her eyes to shield from the light, but once it was over shock and awe took over with what she saw._

_Her small fairy arm had been replaced with a full grown woman's arm. The same had happened to the rest of her body. She now wore a loose white gown covering her body from the neck to her forearms and ankles. Her hair, which was now a shining gold, hung down just beyond her shoulders in wonderful locks that would glisten if there were real light being reflected off of it._

"_W-what is this? What's happened to me?" A new bodied Tatl shakily asked._

"_I granted one of your wishes. You wished to be able to travel the world but not be thought of as some insignificant fairy hiding behind her friends, so I made you human."_

_She had wished for that? Yes, she had. She had previously lived with Tael going wherever they wanted, but made sure to stay away from big places in order to not be knocked around or bullied by nasty kids. Then she became friends with the skull kid and felt she could now go to the city but only because she had the skull kid to hide behind in case things went wrong._

_But now she was human. Had she truly wished for that? She couldn't tell. Either she had but she had just forgotten or she hadn't and this mask was putting ideas in her mind. She wanted to think the latter, but by looking at herself and thinking of all the benefits how could she know she hadn't wished for this?_

"_Now that I have granted your wish, I request you grant me mine."_

_She hadn't realised how well she had hypnotized herself just by looking at her new body until that point to which she now became confused of it's request, curious as to what it may be and fearful as to what it might entail. Before she could even ask what it was, it had said it itself._

"_I wish for souls!"_

_Spinning around once it launched itself from the ground and directly onto Tatl's new face, planting its roots into her skin. She desperately struggled to claw the mask off but it was in vain. Another flash of the eyes and her arms fell limp refusing to move._

_All she could do now was watch as her face slowly transformed into the Majora's Mask and feel their two minds merging into one, then only the mind of Majora remaining. She knew it would happen. She had seen it happen to the skull kid and now it was happening to her._

_She had only stayed with the skull kid in an attempt to save him from the mask, but now she had failed. She failed the skull kid and she had failed Tael. Now she was going to die._

"_I shall consume your mind. I shall consume your soul. I shall consume…all!"_

She woke up with a start. She was dripping with sweat that she guessed was panic induced. Tatl looked across from her cotton ball and cloth bed to see Link wasn't in his bed, and that it was morning already.

She looked down at herself to make sure she was still a fairy and not a woman possessed by the mask. Her glow, wings, she was still a fairy. But, it had felt so real. She had felt her own human arms and the silk gown on her skin. It was so real, even the mask planting itself on her and the sudden surge of magic making her body limp.

"Get out. Get out of my mind!" She whispered to herself, banging her head lightly at the same time.

She gave up after a few more hits and flew to the window to get a look at the Clock Tower and see just what time it was. 7:30 am. She guessed Link hadn't been up long so he must still be here in the Inn. Flying over to the door - which was thoughtfully left open - she flew down the stairs in search of Link only to meet him coming up the stairs to see her.

"Ah, you're awake. Good."

He may have gotten up earlier than Tatl but it was obvious that it did not make him any cheerier or friendly. Sure, he wasn't being frighteningly cold, but it was still chilly around him.

"Yeah, I was just a little tired." Tatl replied, hoping to not mention anything about her dream.

"Well come on then. We're going to look for some more leads on the skull kid and we need you to guide us through town. We were just coming up to wake you and get moving."

They were coming up. If she had kept dreaming for a moment longer Link would have seen her twitching and panicking in her sleep so she would have had to explain what she dreamt. Perhaps if Link were more friendly and caring she wouldn't have minded sharing her dream with him, but Link could respond with anything that she couldn't predict and all that she could predict would not be comforting or helpful in any way. Best to keep quiet and maybe speak of it another day.

"Alright, just give me a moment to stretch my wings. We can go in a few minutes."

Not hoping for a reply she flew right past Link and out an open window to sit on the edge of the roof. Looking up into the sky the moon was still there, glaring down on its soon-to-be victims.

Why had she had a dream like that? Why would being away from the skull kid make her more afraid of what he could do? And…had that really been what she wished for? To be human. To be like everybody else where she could get married, get a job and not be shunned by the rest of the people just because she was a small, insignificant fairy.

She didn't want to be thought of as that, but to be human? Was that what Tael wanted as well? She didn't know, but it was all the more reason to hurry up and try to find him. Perhaps she could ask the skull kid if he could turn Tatl into a human. She still wasn't sure if she really wanted such a thing to happen to her, but if he _could_ do that then it was something worth thinking about.

That being the case, then there was no need to worry too much about it now when it could all be a false hope and a broken dream. Heh. A broken dream. There had to be more than one meaning for that term after the night she had just had.

She kept gazing at the moon above her as if it held the ultimate answer to life, then shook her head a little after realising she had been gazing at it for a while. Stretching her wings shouldn't take this long and Link might begin to think more about the way she was acting. If not him, then Dreek might as well.

She wasn't sure what to think of Dreek. He seemed smart enough to trust and be able to help them out in various situations, but she had heard of the deku military and if they were true, then there may be reason to not trust Dreek.

Dekus, by physical nature, were the weakest race in any land. They were light and made of wood so a punch from one would not be as powerful as a human or even a zora. However the dekus were very tactful and relied more on their surroundings and the earth to help them in battles. It was because of this that it was said dekus were quick to analyse situations and go with the option that worked best for them which might even include betraying Link and taking over his body for good. She didn't know if he could do that, but if he could, was he going to say it?

All she could do for now was hope that she was wrong and keep searching for her little brother and the skull kid.

---

He sat in the middle of a large ring. It was a strange ring with even stranger markings around and inside the ring as if used for ancient magic. He looked up and noticed all his surroundings were different as well. There was no Clock Town but a collection of run-down and destroyed buildings. There wasn't even a Clock Tower around anywhere.

Looking up into the sky he noticed the moon wasn't looming over his head anymore either but instead black clouds were. There was no sign of sunlight anywhere which made him wonder how he could see, but then he noticed the fires from the destroyed buildings and figured it was those that were lighting his surroundings.

But what was going on?

Why was Clock Town – if that was where he was – totally destroyed? All that surrounded him was destruction and perpetual darkness. What had caused all this? And how did it all happen without him realising it?

He ignored these thoughts when he noticed the strange circle below him begin to glow with a black light. Each and ever marking bore a dark glow radiating directly up and creating what some might perceive to be a barrier of some kind with the way the light formed.

He panicked and tried to ram his way out of the circle, but there actually was a barrier keeping him inside. He tried rubbing off the markings to stop the light but that only resulted in burning his hands and increasing the intensity of the darkness. Giving up, he collapsed onto the ground landing on his back and looking up to the sky above him.

It wasn't causing him pain so he didn't notice it at first, but the circle he lay in was slowly siphoning his energy away until there was nothing left. He guessed soon though when his skin drew tighter and simple movements such as moving an arm became increasingly difficult. He was dying in a place he didn't recognise and being killed by a dark, ominous circle.

Something not covered in darkness made him achieve the near-impossible task of moving his head to see what was defying shadow's destructive grasp. It came from the distance but grew bigger as it got closer making it out to be a large red coloured giant with very big legs. Because of those legs the giant was standing next to the destroyed town in only seconds and although he couldn't see it, the giant was joined by three other giants as well. Each from a different direction.

He could do nothing but watch what they were doing as he lay in a useless state. Each of the four giants looked down on the destruction left behind by the unforgiving creation of dark magic and then to the black circle within the centre of it all. They could see it had trapped someone and that he was going to lose his soul very soon.

The four giants did what they came here to do as protectors of this world. Looking to one another they all pooled their spiritual energy together and lifted the soul from the body, up into the cloud ridden sky. Where the body once was there was ash gradually seeping into the cracks of the circle and where the soul was rising there was an orb of shining light that shone brighter than any sun.

As soon as it reached the clouds, they parted from the spot allowing the light of day to hit the ground below once more and continue to spread as the darkness receded away.

The black circle continued to emanate its evil glow and the giants seemed to be oblivious to this. It looked like the giants believed their work to be done now that the darkness had gone but they failed to realise they had only destroyed the cloak and still had the body beneath to deal with.

Frustrated at the loss of another soul, the darkness shone stronger than before reaching up into the heavens creating a column of darkness at its purest form for all to see. Wiping away the markings on the ground the darkness gathered itself together until it had formed a body that it could use.

Covered in mixtures of red and purple inscriptions and a pair of bright, yellow eyes it stared at each of the giants in turn with a stare that showed his intent to kill them all.

The giants, which now stared back at their apparent doom, seemed more calm than you might expect. Acting as if they, themselves, were one entity they waved their arms in a way that called back the soul they had previously released and sent it colliding with the darkness for consequences only they knew.

The combination of light and dark in their purest forms is something that cannot last for long even when dealing with something as intricate as the soul. Unable to contain the balance, the two forces exploded and nothing could be seen through the blinding light.

When the light cleared, he did not see what he expected to see. In fact, he could never expect what he saw now. The desolate wasteland he had been lying in had vanished and been replaced by a colourful mist with no visible bottom and the sky above him now bore a similar mist as well as around him.

"Welcome Stalchild."

A voice was another thing he would have never of guessed to occur. He could not guess who it belonged to or pinpoint where it came from as the sound came from all around him.

"Who are you?" The Stalchild asked.

"We will reveal ourselves to you when we can, but for now we cannot."

Again the voice came from everywhere so it was impossible to determine where this being was. Then again, he didn't know where he was either so what difference did it make?

"You wish to know where you were just now and of the events that occurred. Yes?"

The Stalchild nodded in agreement, although he wasn't sure why as he didn't know if this being could see him to acknowledge the nod. Apparently it could as it continued to answer the question.

"The mask you wear is the cause of the darkness and destruction that covered the world and nearly yourself. Do not be alarmed for what occurred did so 3000 years ago and what you experienced was nothing more than a memory of it."

A memory? He had…experienced a memory? Who's memory and why did he go through it? But wait a minute. The mask he wore did that 3000 years ago? How was that possible? Luckily that was about to be explained, in part.

"The four giants, as you saw, stopped the darkness using your soul before it could be consumed by the darkness and it was also your soul which helped defeat the darkness for good."

He wanted to ask more about his 'soul' and just what it meant for him to be just a soul, but he could already tell it would be more confusing than he would like and so ignored asking that question. Instead he asked another.

"Where am I now?" He asked.

"You have been in direct contact with he born from darkness and not been destroyed completely by it. Those who fit those circumstances end up here. Here specifically is the gap between that darkness's mind and soul where we remain trapped until the curse that sealed us in here can be broken."

"What curse has he placed upon me?" The stalchild also asked.

"You are weak in spiritual energy and the mask needed a body that could easily be taken over. You are here because it has forced your mind and soul out of your body so it can gain control. You have been in contact with the darkness, but your body is still intact so you have not been completely destroyed."

"And what is your curse?"

"I have no curse. I am here because of…an exchange."

Those last words were said slower than all the ones before it indicating it may be a difficult thing to talk about. Natural curiosity took over and made him want to ask one more question which prodded right at the difficult thing to talk about and hope to explain all of it. For some reason even he didn't know, another question seemed more pertinent that even human curiosity could not override.

"Who are you?"


	6. Chapter 6: The search ends

**Chapter 6: The search ends**

The early morning had passed and so had a variety of shops and people as Tatl continued to show Link and Dreek around the town she knew so well. Fortunately for Link, the currency in Hyrule was the same as the currency here. Unfortunately for Link, he lost all of his money when he lost his human form so he was broke.

Despite that they were able to pick up some small change off the ground and some pity money from adults who saw a young deku wandering lost as if searching for their parents. The rest of the money made used to buy supplies and other small things was taken through other people via Link's unknown ability to pickpocket.

Money seemed to be the only use of the townspeople, though, as no matter how many people they asked nobody seemed to know where the skull kid was.

The early morning boasted only slightly cloudy skies, a bright sun and a large moon, but the later morning boasted dark clouds, torrential rain and again, a large moon.

Link was used to dark looking weather as the time of Ganondorf was like this very often. Dark, gloomy and sometimes damp. Dreek was in the military so he was drilled to not be bothered by the rain, but Tatl was neither and waterlogged wings were not very useful when flying.

Because of that, the day was spent mostly going out, ducking under some kind of cover to let Tatl's wings dry then go out again. A lot of time was wasted by doing this while the rest of the time was spent asking people if they had seen something like the skull kid or Tael. That is how the rest of the day was wasted, seeing as nobody knew at all.

Link was beginning to wonder if there was any point in asking people anymore. The first day confirmed that he wasn't here so why would the second day be any different? They should leave the city and look outside, but a guardsman stopped him there.

Apparently it was too dangerous for a young deku to go outside without protection and refused to let Link leave. Dreek was practically foaming at the mouth at the claim a deku is too weak to survive outside, especially when he was a high ranking member of the deku royal guard, but he kept his cool and let Link do the talking.

Both calmed down later as they remembered that it would be in the evening when the telescope's new lens arrived and they could use it to look for the skull kid. That, after all, was their best shot at finding the skull kid. They had looked everywhere the city streets led and there was no underground where he could hide so he was either on the rooftops or not in the city at all, so if they can't find the skull kid with the telescope, then there would be no hope.

Morning turned into the afternoon and that swiftly turned into the evening, all the while the weather never changed with the moon growing bigger.

The Clock Tower read 8pm when they all decided to stop the search and go see the astronomer one more time. Link and Tatl felt pretty much the same right now, going because they feel they should and it may help them, but it was obvious to Link that Dreek felt a bit uncomfortable.

When they saw the astronomer last, Dreek was hoping to do what he wanted quick and leave without saying too much and saying something he hoped not to say. It was dark now, though, meaning he would offer Dreek a place to stay meaning he would have to accept from a good friend and they would have to talk. Then there was the matter of what Link would want to do throughout all of this. Would he want to be in control the entire time or stay back but keep a close eye on him?

The group rounded a corner in the dark city to where they first found the boy and shoved him aside the day before. The place was empty now as they guessed the boy didn't want to risk seeing Link again. Tatl led the way down the alley once more, not saying anything so as to not provoke him to say anything back. She knew he wouldn't say anything bad or mean, she just didn't feel like talking right now.

"_I'm leaving this to you, Dreek. Just be aware, though. If I see you start to slip up or say anything unnecessary, I _will_ step in myself and stop you."_

Dreek only replied back with a grunt to say he understood, as he didn't feel much like talking either. Right now he just wanted to try and stay firm, and keep a check over what was right and not right to be said. It was a big list.

The tunnel came to an end as light coming from the observatory seeped through until it became clearer. All the colours of the walls were easily visible as were the bundles of hay and boxes in exactly the same positions as they were the day before. Hearing footsteps the astronomer made his way slowly down the staircase to greet his new guests.

"Hello? Oh, Dreek." He said, having just got down enough to see who it was. "I've been waiting for you for a little while now. Yes, yes, come in. I already have the lens fitted."

"Thank you professor." Dreek replied.

He followed him up the stairs where everything looked even more extravagant than what they could see below. It was all painted a dark blue with dots resembling stars in the sky all around them. Tatl let out a slight gasp as she took in her surroundings whilst Dreek continued his way up to the upper floor and the large telescope entering the starry sky above.

"Yes, it arrived just a couple of hours ago so go ahead and do what you need to do."

"You're…not going to ask me why I need it?" Dreek asked.

"I'm an old man now. That means I listen to people, but only when they feel like talking. If you want to talk about it, then I'll listen. Otherwise, I won't pry into private matters."

His eyes easily reflected the gratitude he felt as did his mind, which Link could easily read.

_Well, you heard him. Go ahead and do what you need to do then lets get out of here._

Dreek complied with the order and got into a position that could let him look through the telescope and still feel comfortable. Twisting the dials on either side Dreek spun through the sky until the top of the town came into view. They were to look here first in case he was easy to get to and so quick to end the chase. If they couldn't see him here, then they would look out in the other directions in a vain hope.

A few minutes of scouring the tops of the town and Dreek was about ready to give up when one of the military drills resurfaced itself. _Never give up! Persistence is the key!_ Nodding to himself he gave the telescope another spin – partially a wild spin – and found himself looking at the top of the Clock Tower. He hadn't looked here yet as he had hoped he wouldn't have to, what with it being so difficult to get up there and all.

Despite that, he gave it a closer look all the same and was able to make out something up there.

It was definitely something that didn't seem to belong and once Dreek zoomed in a little bit, he was able to see why. It was the skull kid, there was no doubt in mistaking that odd body and dark mask upon his face.

Two days of constantly searching were at an end. The only problem now was to get up there and confront him.

Well, not the only problem. Now that he had found the skull kid, he would have to try and leave, but the astronomer had been looking forward to this chance to talk and so had Dreek. He had always admired the old man when he was in school and was perhaps the only one he could talk to right now about being dead and why they needed the aid of his telescope.

"Did you find what you were looking for?"

Dreek was caught off guard by the astronomer noticing he had stopped moving the telescope. He could lie and say he hadn't, but that would only delay the inevitable and there was no point in doing that.

"Yeah, I think so." Dreek replied.

"Hmm. Is something wrong?" The astronomer asked, noticing the more casual 'yeah' instead of the more formal 'yes'.

"Ah. Oh, uh, no. Nothing is the matter. I thank you for the use of your telescope and apologise for leaving now."

"Oh is that so? I was looking forward for the chance to talk. Well, if you have to leave then I won't stop you. Thank you for stopping by."

Dreek bowed to show his gratitude then made his way down to leave. As he did, Tatl flew down to his shoulder.

"Dreek, I know we really need to find the skull kid but even I can tell something is up. There should be no reason for you to push him away. It's getting late anyhow so searching at this time would do us no good. Stay a bit longer and talk."

He really wanted to do that. He had been hoping to do that since the night before, ever since Link filled his head with doubt about himself with their brief night-time chat. He would be pushing the astronomer away if he did leave right now and this would not be the first person he would have done this to. Was he going to go through his entire life pushing everyone away? If he did he'd eventually have no-one left. He would be alone, like Link once was.

"_I was not alone."_

Link again. He had been listening to his internal thoughts and responded to them.

"_I was on a search for someone who had been separated from me. Read my thoughts. At no time did I ever push anyone away. They were all taken away from me!"_

"_So even you say I should go back and talk to him?" _Dreek asked.

"_No. Listen to the soldier within you. It is saying to continue with the mission and do what we can to accomplish it. If we stay here any longer the mission is in jeopardy. We leave now."_

It was all too confusing. Suddenly it felt like that everything that made him was suddenly gone and replaced by a new person. The fun-loving, caring side of him was personified as this little fairy, telling him to be happy as well as do what is right. Link was the harsh, soldier self who existed only to follow orders and do what needed to be done without question. It was too difficult to choose between the two. He would have to make a decision quickly as if he stopped to think it would look like he was staying, whilst walking for too long would look like he was leaving.

He now had a choice of whether to stay and talk with an old friend or leave and try to find the one who had cursed him. He didn't want to push this old man away, but staying to talk might make him say things he hoped not to say that would only complicate things even further than they were now.

"It's ok, Dreek. You can stay." Tatl whispered to him.

"_We have to leave."_

"You can stay."

"_Leave."_

"Stay."

"_Leave."_

"Stay!"

"_Leave!"_

"Stay!"

"_Leave!"_

"STOP IT!!!"

The seemingly endless echoes silenced immediately as both Tatl and Link were stunned by the sudden, unexpected outburst. The astronomer looked down from above as Dreek's shout carried to quite a distance.

"Dreek?"

The old man made his way down to the level Dreek was on to make speaking easier. Dreek seemed to be having obvious trouble holding back pretty much all of his emotions, including confusion.

"P…Professor."

By now the astronomer had reached Dreek and had bent slightly to try and get a better look of Dreek's lowered face. The essence of a tear seemed to glimmer in what little light could reach his face. Without warning Dreek suddenly leapt forward and wrapped his spindly wooden arms around the old man for self-comfort.

"I'm sorry Professor!" Dreek sobbed.

"My…my dear boy, sorry for what? You needn't apologise for leaving. You have things to do, I understand."

"No." He sniffled. "It's not that. I've been running away for so long, and now that it's caught up, I don't know what to do."

"Dreek my boy, you're going to have to calm down and explain things to me. I don't quite understand you fully."

Dreek's occasional sobs slowed down to only once in a long while allowing him to breath and swallow any remaining tears. When it seemed like he was about to speak, he suddenly stopped as if deciding it was not the right thing to say. Thinking back to a point where he should start, he discovered the words he was after and said them right then.

"I'm dead." Dreek said at last.

"You're…what?"

"I'm dead." He said again. "I originally came to Clock Town just under a week ago, but I got lost and ran into a skull kid with a strange mask. He did something to me and the next thing I know I'm sharing a body with another who was cursed by that mask."

The astronomer seemed to be trying to take all this in. He was a man of science after all, so talk of magic would confuse him. They were complete opposites. Dreek started to cough as he fought to hold back the tears.

"I was talking with the other person in this body last night, after we met with you. He said some things that made me think. Made me realise what I had been doing." He paused to try and stop any tears from blocking the next words. "I've been pushing everyone away from me. Even you."

Now the comprehension of the curse was irrelevant while the astronomer tried to understand how Dreek had been pushing him away.

"Dreek, my boy. You've done no such thing."

"Yes I have!" Dreek cut in. "I have, and I hate myself for doing so. I could have easily stayed last night when you offered, talked and had fun, but instead I chose to push you away and leave me to myself, where nothing can hurt me. It's the same with everyone else."

Everyone was quiet to listen to the upset deku. Even Link didn't feel like speaking to Dreek right now, they all just stayed where they were and waited for Dreek to speak again.

"I was in love once, you know." Dreek said suddenly. "I met her at the Academy. She was kind, and pretty, just what a guy would want. You know what else? She's the princess. Yup, I fell in love with the King's daughter."

There was still silence from the others as it processed in some minds. Link, having no knowledge of this world, chose not to care and only listen out for a time when he could get him to leave, to which the sooner was the better.

"Apparently, though, I wasn't the kind of guy she wanted. She wanted someone who could defend himself, someone brave and noble like one of the knights. You'd think that was the worst day of my life, wouldn't you? Because of that I asked my father to try and get me into the military where I could be the kind of person she would like me to be. I eventually became a member of the royal guard through my hard work, great knowledge and persistence to get the girl I so dearly loved. She said I was trying too hard and that I should ignore my feelings for her.

"I'd listened to everything else she had said, so I did this time as well. I tried to ignore my feelings for her, but I couldn't. I still saw her in class and as a guardsmen and all I could think of was her. She could see this and ended up getting a private tutor to stay away from me in class. Her father moved me to another part of the guard so I wouldn't have to see her all of the time, as per her daughter's request.

"It worked. I didn't see her anymore so there was nothing to remind me of her. I did as she said and I ignored my feelings for her. In doing so, I ignored the pain of losing her. My father said I had entered some kind of slump because of my actions which only made me think of the cause of it, so I ignored parts of what my father said to help ignore the pain. It wasn't long before I did the same to everyone else."

Both the astronomer and Tatl were trying to think of something to say to try and comfort him, but nothing could come up that could fit this kind of situation. Link didn't even bother, but was surprised when he heard Dreek's voice again.

"_But I couldn't ignore you. You were too much like me, so to ignore you would feel like ignoring myself, which I could not do."_

If it was a plan to try and get Link to realise what he was doing, it had failed. Link felt too strongly that what he was doing was right and that Dreek had gone the wrong way about it before, that he still was doing the wrong thing to accomplish his current goal. He was now submitting himself to his emotions, which left room for weakness and a lack of strength. Now, he was weak.

"Dreek. Is…is there anything we can do to help?" Tatl asked.

"No. No, it's alright." He replied, sounding much calmer than before. "I have been cursed like this, so there's likely to be no-one who can turn me back. I'll be fine, I think I can live with this."

"Well, judging by the angle of my telescope, what you were looking for is on the top of the clock tower, correct? If that is the case, then you won't be able to get up there until tomorrow night, when the whole tower opens for the carnival of time. Why don't you rest here tonight and prepare tomorrow?"

Dreek now had no intention of declining the Professor's request and even Link reluctantly agreed with the knowledge that going there right now would prove futile. He might even be able to talk to Dreek again and restore the soldier within him so that he may have someone to respect once more. Such an opportunity never arose, though, leaving Link to stay by himself in the back of their minds and think about what they were going to do the next day. The final day.

---

The night came and went where Dreek, Tatl and the astronomer stayed up late talking with each other and being able to lift Dreek's spirits high enough to feel good about himself. Not in a state of self-depression like Link. When morning came and all had awoken, goodbyes were exchanged as the deku and the fairy left to face their destiny.

However, they soon learnt that the tower opened at midnight meaning they had another day to waste. This was done by scrounging more money off the street and "unsuspecting suckers" as Link called them, to which it was spent on food and whatever they could use as a weapon if the need for one occurred.

Having spent the night in the body and being able to tell Link wanted control once more, they switched allowing Link to roam through town and Dreek to think to himself. They didn't bother to talk.

Tatl drifted behind them, allowing herself to be dragged along with them as she kept on thinking of the dream, nightmare even, that she had the night before last. The mask in her dream said she had wished to be human. She didn't know if it was true or not but in the short time she had to look at herself without fear she realised she didn't not like it. She was a human, and a beauty of a human as well. She would never have to fear rejection or being bullied just because she's smaller than everyone else.

Tonight would be the night where she could find out if the skull kid could do that for her. She wanted to rescue her brother as well, but this was something that would simply not leave her alone and continued to bug her until the darkness of night and the now huge moon hung over them.

Link's thoughts had been on one thing, and that was to get his ocarina back, go find that stupid mask man and get his body back. Nothing else mattered.

Except, something else did matter.

Three times throughout the course of the day Link had to turn around and look for Tatl as she had drifted behind. Only on the third time did the reason why he was here in the first place return to mind. He had been looking for Navi because he thought that was what he needed to make his life fulfilling again. However, according to the mask man, Navi was not the one he had been looking for.

He had completely forgotten the deal to get Majora's Mask back in exchange for the mask man to tell him the vital information he needed to hear.

"_Tonight."_ Link told himself. _"Tonight, it will end. One way or another."_

Tonight it will end. One way or another. He was right. Tonight, the night of the carnival of time, it would all come to an end. One way or another, it would all end.

---

The large tower rang out through the entire city as midnight finally arrived and the Carnival of Time could begin. Very few people were around to enjoy it as they had all run away in fear of the moon but right in the centre of the city some people remained. Atop the clock there was a young deku, a skull kid and two fairies all looking at each other.

"Sis!" Tael called out.

"Tael! You're alright!"

"Swamp. Mountain. Ocean. Canyon. The four who are there, bring them here!"

Tael's call was quickly silenced by a backhand slap from the skull kid, knocking Tael back a bit in the air.

"Don't step out of line, stupid fairy." The skull kid added.

"Skull kid! This ends now!"

To Tatl's surprise, Link said this. Tatl had wanted to say that, but all she could manage right then was a gasp at seeing her brother slapped back helplessly.

"Ahhh, the little boy from the woods. I have been waiting for you. Oh, and the scholar from the deku swamps. I thought you looked familiar."

"Don't toy with me. You know what I want so just hand it over!" Link yelled.

"Do you mean your precious ocarina? Well, I don't listen to beings weaker than myself so as long as you're stuck in that body, you won't be getting this back at all!"

A low growl was the only response that followed while all else remained silent. The skull kid looked up slightly then back down at the one who dared to oppose him.

"Look up." The skull kid ordered. "All I need is another hour and the large lump of rock you all call a moon will have destroyed your beloved city and everything around it. Even if you could stop me you can't stop that which hangs over you. This face, my face, will be the last thing you ever see so why don't you just-"

"Stop, skull kid."

A small purple orb was floating next to the dark mask and had the nerve to stop Majora through his speech. What's worse, he called him the skull kid!

"How many times must I tell you that person no longer exists?! Why do you keep trying to call him?"

"Because, no matter what you say, I know you're wrong, and that he does exist. I will keep trying until I succeed."

The bright yellow eyes of the mask – and consequently the bright yellow eyes on the moon – flashed suddenly and the purple fairy who defied his master was on the floor gasping for air.

"I told you not to step out of line. Do so again and I _will_ kill you this time."

Tael finally learnt his place for now and remained silent, only able to watch the following events from that point on. Tatl had been doing the same thing and could feel nothing but shock. However, it was not shock in what was being done but what was being said by everyone.

Tael had always been so playful and childish, unaware of a true danger and how to act around it. She always had to be strong for him and protect him but looking at him now, she hadn't said a single word and he was defending himself. Saying things even she wouldn't dare say at the time. He was questioning the skull kid, no, Majora and his motives, taking the hits and still fighting back and she was just watching. Their roles had reversed where she now felt timid, only she wanted to fight back.

Then there was Link himself. When she wanted to yell out to the skull kid Link had done so instead while she still felt surprise from Tael being hit lightly! Everyone else around her was being strong, fighting back and she still hid behind people hoping she would not be pushed around and bullied by people bigger than her. She didn't want that. She hated knowing that. And then, there was her dream.

"Skull kid. I have to ask you something." Tatl plainly said.

The skull kid looked towards her in acknowledgement but not saying anything. She knew it meant continue.

"You can do anything with that mask, can't you? It gives you amazing powers, right?"

"So you want to know why I'm doing this? I don't need to explain that to the-"

"No, it's not that." She quickly added.

All eyes now looked in her direction, all anticipating she would ask why. Tael was listening intently too, only having enough energy to say few words and not enough to turn and look.

"You…can do anything with that mask, can't you?" She asked again, almost testing his power.

"…What is it you want my dear?" Majora said with a tone matching one that would give a request, sensing that she was about to ask for one.

"Can you…make me…human?" She asked slowly.

"S…sis?"

"And why would you want that my dear?" Majora asked.

She looked down to the ground, as if she were ashamed to admit the reason. It could also be interpreted as shyness but judging by the mood of the situation and the request, it would be impossible to tell which it was.

"Tael and I were always pushed around and bullied just because we were smaller than everyone else. We ended up always staying away from the city or anywhere else because of it. When we met you, I was able to enter the city again because you would protect us, but to me it just felt like I was hiding behind someone else. I'm sick of it. I want to be able to protect myself, and I can do that if I'm human."

There was a pause. One of those eerily long pauses. Link just watched in curiosity, Tael watched out of confusion while Majora simply allowed the silence to stretch itself until it snapped.

"If I do, will you promise to serve me?" Majora asked.

"You mean, you can do it?" Tatl excitedly asked.

"Only if you promise to serve me, my dear."

Without thinking she instinctively began to fly over to the evil Majora, too fixated on a wish she never knew she had. Link continued to watch as he didn't care about the fairy anymore. All he needed her for was to lead him to the skull kid. Now she had done that, why did he need her?

Tael still lay on the ground, but could now see Tatl as she flew into his sight, drawing closer to Majora and a lifetime of service. He understood her feelings of rejection by others, but to do this because of it? No way was he going to let her do this.

"Sis…why?"

"I don't want to feel rejected anymore. I want to fit in, to not be bullied, to be free to do what I want and not hide behind people." Tatl answered in a trance-like state.

"But…serve him?"

"Better to serve him than be bullied by him."

She seemed stuck in a trance that would lead to a human body and servitude that appeared irrelevant. Tael simply couldn't believe it. How could he? He always admired his sister for being able to stand up to the skull kid. He had recently tried to became what he admired in his sister by trying to break free no matter what, and now she comes up here and does this?

"Sis. No, my sister wouldn't give up so easily. She wouldn't submit to the darkness so willingly. She would keep on fighting and stand up to anything in her way."

Tatl had stopped, allowing his words to sink in and for her to find the meaning in them. _She wouldn't submit to the darkness so willingly. _Was that what she was doing? Was she about to abandon her brother without giving it a second thought?

"If you make that deal, you're not my sister anymore."

That was it. That was all that needed to be said to bring Tatl back to her senses. Now she realised, she never wanted to be human in the first place. She didn't even need to be human as just being with her brother was enough to give her the courage to stand up for herself and push back the people who push her.

"I warned you. _Now_ you die!"

"Leave him ALONE!"

Angered by Tael's words breaking a possible control over Tatl, Majora was about to destroy Tael in one magic attack. However, strengthened by her brother's words and through a desire to protect him she charged with all her might into the body of the skull kid and somehow managed to knock him back, deter the magical attack and make him drop the ocarina of time. Link didn't need to be told what to do now as he quickly seized the opportunity and his ocarina in the same instant. In that instant, the world around him seemed to vanish as something else took its place.

---

_The sun shone brightly in the cloudless sky and covered the world below it in its warm rays. Only some of these managed to reach a young Link and princess Zelda through the stained glass windows of the Temple of Time._

"_So, you're leaving." Zelda said. Link only nodded in response. "When will you be back?"_

"_I won't." Link bluntly replied._

"_What?"_

"_I won't be coming back." Link repeated._

"_But…you can't just leave!"_

"_Why not?"_

"_Because we might need you! What if Ganon comes back? What if something worse comes along?" Zelda frantically asked._

"_Ganon has been sealed in the Sacred Realm to never return and there is nothing worse than him when he had the Triforce of Power. You don't need me. I'm leaving." Link said monotonously._

"_But what if something comes that we can't deal with, something only a hero can?" She asked, desperate to keep Link in Hyrule._

"_Get some other fool, then. I am not being a hero again."_

_Not bothering to stay any longer, Link turned to leave the blank temple and leave the princess behind with her futile attempts at an impossibility. A faint whiney could be heard from Link's horse, Epona, who was waiting outside for her master to come and leave with him. It was obvious Link wasn't staying long,_

"_Wait."_

_He didn't. He kept on going for the arched exit to his freedom, and his search._

"_No, please wait."_

_He stopped, knowing it was something other than getting him to stay._

"_You say you won't come back. You say you won't be a hero anymore, but you are special and you cannot deny that."_

_It was true. That was something he just could not deny. After all, how many other people could wield the Master Sword and defeat pretty much anything that came in his way? None the last time he checked._

"_You need to stay alive, and even though you may not want it, here."_

_She held out her hands and in them lay a large, blue ocarina he knew too well as the Ocarina of Time. Link had used it to open the Door of Time and play other magical songs that helped him free the sages who later helped him defeat Ganondorf. The older Zelda used it to send him back in time which led up to this point in time. Now he was again being given the instrument with great magical power, but also a constant memory of his past. She was right to say he might not want it,_

"_You know your true potential now, and that will be reflected in songs such as the Song of Time. Use it to help you and escape any troubles that may come your way."_

_Taking a short time to think about it, Link reluctantly turned back around and placed his hand over the ocarina to accept. It was quickly met with one of Zelda's hands which placed itself over Link's._

"_You can return it to me when you come back."_

_She let go, allowing Link to snap it out of her hands and make his way out without stop. Zelda bowed her head in defeat then turned to the altar by the large, stone doorway to the Master Sword. Bending down, she made a prayer._

"_Please protect him, and help him in his quest."_

---

_Come on, Link, snap out of it!_

Dreek's voice brought Link back from the memory and to the current time, with Tael still on the ground, Tatl over him doing what she could to help and the skull kid floating high above the ground in obvious rage.

"That's it! You've all lived long enough! Feel my wrath!"

With a loud screech coming more from the mask than the body, a dark aura surrounded the skull kid until the eyes of both the mask and the moon glowed brightly. A sudden pulse from the skull kid threw Tatl away from her brother who now lay motionless with no sign of life remaining. As much as she tried, it was impossible to approach him due to the immense amount of magical energy Majora was emitting.

Link had been looking at the skull kid more and at what he was doing, which became apparent almost instantly. Before, you would have to be very strong sighted to see the moon was gradually getting closer to the earth, but it was very obvious now as it fell at a much faster rate.

Link was actually scared now, seeing the moon fall and feeling the power of the mask flow around him. He had told Zelda there was nothing more powerful than Ganon with the Triforce of Power, but was it possible that he was wrong? Ganon's power was always focused within himself, giving him the strength to take over Hyrule, but to be facing an opponent with so much power that it filled the air around him, it was too much! He couldn't deal with such a being, not now. He had to escape.

_You know your true potential now, and that will be reflected in songs such as the Song of Time. Use it to help you and escape any troubles that may come your way._

The words of the princess echoed in his mind, telling him to look at the ocarina and use it. His potential was what he could do with the Triforce of Courage but he doubted it would work ever since he was first made into a deku, due to the distorted mark on the ground back then. Still, it was worth a shot if it could get him out of there. He placed the ocarina to his deku snout then suddenly realised that playing an ocarina while in this form should be impossible.

Another kind of magic flowed around him then, one he partially recognised as his own, which soon showed itself in the ocarina as it glowed and began to change shape to something that he could play.

A large set of organ pipes.

He covered the mouth hole with his snout and used knowledge from Dreek to play it. Through the large copper plated pipes came the slow tempo tune that was the Song of Time. Time slowed down to a halt, then vanished along with the rest of the world as the clocks of the universe set themselves back to start all over again.

---

**AN: **This is the last time I'll be saying stuff to you as my next project is to update my earlier chapters (which I think need a little touch-up) and to eliminate all my previous ANs as I think Id rather have a well flowing story instead of one broken up by me talking.


	7. Chapter 7: The second encounter

**Chapter 7: The Second Encounter**

"_Hey skull kid, found anything yet?" The purple fairy asked._

_---_

"_Hee, hee! Now that's a good look for you!" The skull kid said while laughing._

_---_

"_You've met with a terrible fate, haven't you?"_

---

The sounds of morning hustle and bustle were the first things to be registered by Link and Tatl. Soon to follow was the sunlight, then the outer wall and then the finer details like people and buildings. It didn't take much longer for the fact that they had seen this setting before to sink in.

"What…just happened?" Tatl asked.

Ignoring her for the moment, Link looked up at the sky to see where the moon was, if it was still there. It was. It was quite a ways up, though, and not a few metres instead. The Clock Tower also told him that it was early in the morning and that it was 3 days earlier, judging by the smaller clock within the larger one.

"Everything has…started over."

Just like it had on their first visit, everyone was doing exactly the same things they were doing before. The postman was still delivering the mail, the carpenters were still working on the small tower and the vendors were still at their stalls.

"Come on." Link ordered.

"What? Where are we going?" Tatl asked, caught slightly by surprise.

"I got my ocarina. I'm getting my body back."

Having completely forgotten about Link's deal with the Happy Mask man, Tatl obediently followed Link back inside the Clock Tower where they first met the strange man, thinking he would still be there. The large, wooden doors creaked open then shut again revealing the same cogs, sounds and strange man as before.

"My, you were quick in achieving your goal. I knew I was right to trust this task to you."

Link only stared in response to the mask man's words. He had seen what the mask could do on the tower and if getting that mask seemed difficult before, it was nearly impossible now! He wanted to say something about that, but knew he might lose his temper if he did and he wanted to be human when he did that, not a deku.

"You _do _have your ocarina, don't you?" He asked in response to the silence. The reply to this was more silence and a wave with it in his hands, showing he did. "Marvellous. Then I can teach you the song to heal you."

With that, the Happy Mask man turned to a side and walked over to a large set of organ pipes that did not seem to be there before. Pulling out the seat he sat down in front of it and played a few notes to make sure it was all in check. Once he was certain, he turned back to Link.

"Pay close attention, Link, for I shall only play this once."

Turning back to the organ the Happy Mask Man stretched his fingers and began to play the slow and soothing Song of Healing. The melody that came from the organ flowed out with elegance and filled the Clock Tower with peace and calmness. Despite his hard attempts of concentrating solely on the sounds and notes, he couldn't help but feel more relaxed from the power of the song.

Tatl, who had realised they had travelled back in time and remembered seeing her brother dead, succumbed to the music and allowed her feelings of horror and shock to subside. Her recent emotional pains had been healed, as had the recent pains of the others.

The last few notes came out of the organ, echoing slightly through the tower as the Happy Mask man turned around and made a bow to his audience.

"My power as it is now can only do so much with the power of the song. In order to heal yourself, you must play the song on that ocarina of yours." The Happy Mask man said, surprisingly serious.

Like he had done before, Link placed the ocarina to his snout where, again, it turned into a set of large pipes. Reminding himself of how the Happy Mask man played his organ, Link mimicked the action with breaths of his own, producing the same soothing sound.

---

The scrub had caught up to him and was now lowering its main body leaving its snout hovering over the head of the fearful little boy. A shrill cackle now rang in the air as his doom was now upon him. He knew it. This was it. Closer the snout of death came to his body while the cackle began to unnerve him and then…

_It stopped._

_The large scrub towering over the body of Link pulled its snout back up and stepped away, diminishing in size with every step. It walked away until it was so small that there was nothing left. Link's curse had walked away leaving him with his original form once again._

_For a quick moment, Link thought he saw the face of Dreek in the darkness from which he had run, but it vanished as quickly as it appeared so he could not be sure. All he cared about now was that the curse had gone, his body was his once again and the void he had been in was vanishing, revealing the world he was currently in._

_---_

He looked down at himself, checking that he had regained his old body. Green clothes, leather boots, skin, weapons, yes, he was a deku no more! Looking down again he could still see the face of a deku, but it was motionless and attached to nothing.

"That song has the power to heal evil magic and troubled spirits, turning them into masks. By playing that song for yourself you healed the spirit of the deku you were combined with and turned it into a mask."

Link stared down at the mask in front of him, seeing how depressed and sad it looked. The essence of Dreek lay before him, no longer existing inside his mind and being forced to share a body. But, the mask was dull and without life. Did that mean…

"You're friend is not dead." The Happy Mask man answered, as if reading Link's mind. "He lives inside the mask, and if you wear it, it will be like you were before. Your minds will connect, your form will change but this time you are free to remove the mask if being a deku becomes an inconvenience."

Huh, join up with him again? Not likely. Now he had his old body back again he felt he could do anything. Being a deku would only limit his powers so the chances of being one again were incredibly slim.

"Take him with you. I'm sure he will be useful on your quest."

Suddenly the feeling of peace swept away from Link and was replaced with agitation and the same cold attitude he had been harbouring the past couple of days. He never wanted to go on this 'quest' of retrieving the mask in the first place. He never wanted to go on a quest ever again! However, he did want to know what he was looking for that got him here in the first place.

But, how did this man know what Link wanted? It may turn out that Link gets the mask, gives it to him and he just lies to Link. A complete waste of time, and he was used again. How could he make sure that he wouldn't be betrayed?

"I'm not on any 'quest'." Link replied.

"Oh? So you have forgotten our deal or are you backing out with half of the payment in hand?" The mask man replied back.

"That's all I see this as. A trade. You keep your promise, I'll keep mine. This is no quest." Link shot back. The Happy Mask man grinned at this response having half expected it.

"If that is all it takes to get my mask back, then yes. This is nothing but a trade." The happy mask man said, still grinning. He started to bow to Link as if saying goodbye, but stopped when he was interrupted by Link. He straightened out and looked down at the boy in curiosity of what he had to say.

"This mask. Just what kind of mask is it?" Link rudely asked.

"You wish to know of Majora's powers?"

"And why you never mentioned them the first time." Link added. The Happy Mask man smiled as he replied.

"You never asked me to."

"Well I'm asking now. Talk."

Sighing, the man of many masks gave in and began to tell Link what he needed to know about Majora's Mask. Compared to what there was to know about the mask, he revealed little about it, yet it was satisfactory for Link as he did not know of all there was to be revealed.

He spoke of a people from many thousands of years ago. They lived in one major settlement which is where Clock Town is situated today. In that particular tribe, certain rituals were held by the people there that involved masks. These rituals may help to summon rain, call to the animals or some more powerful techniques such as reading minds and seeing the future.

A select few masks were used for hexing rituals, or curses. This was a people from a long time ago so there was no policing policy or any other organisation like it, so when people did wrong, they were cursed. One mask was favoured for the most horrible curses that could steal the soul of a person, turning them into a zombie with no will or ability to think at all. That mask was the Majora's mask.

Over the many years the mask was used, the souls it had stolen accumulated themselves and through the magic of the mask, moulded together into one. The magic that lay within the mask had a soul to guide and harness it. All it needed now was a body that it could use to focus and utilise the magic to its fullest potential. Not a difficult task as, in order to carry out the curses, someone had to wear the mask and use its power.

The entire people were nearly destroyed, but fortunately the mask was stopped by killing the man wearing it. The people spread out and founded the places known well today as Woodfall, Snowhead, the Great Bay and Ikana. Most of the masks were destroyed to try and prevent another incident like that. Those that could not be destroyed were taken by the future-Ikana people, who had with them the best magical experts. Masks like Majora were sent far away where nobody, not even the people who used them could find them.

Throughout all those years, Majora's mask remained hidden with the people's hopes that it would never be used again.

"Unfortunately, that little imp found it and the mask now has a strong hold on him. He probably intends to destroy the city in revenge for being hidden for so long."

Link began to understand more what kind of an opponent he was facing, but still managed to concentrate on the cold, hard facts.

"Even if all I have to do is kill the skull kid," a squeak of alarm from Tatl, "that mask has a lot of power and it won't be easy for me to get to it. How was it stopped last time?"

"To weaken the mask you must travel to the new settlements and ask each of the giants for their aid. Once all four are willing to help, you can fight the mask on equal terms and defeat it." The Happy Mask man said calmly.

_Great, so it is a quest._ Link thought. He had hoped that looking for Navi would be the last major journey he ever had to make, but now he was stuck in this unwanted detour just because someone was saying they knew something about him he didn't. That he actually wasn't looking for his old fairy friend, Navi.

But, if it wasn't her, what was he looking for? He had lost everything else, so it had to be her, and he already knew that. This man obviously did not know what Link was after at all. He had been turned back to his old Hylian self, so why not just leave and look for Navi? This place was doomed from the start just by feeling segments of the mask's power. If there was one thing Link learnt from his journey as the Hero of Time it was that you always had a choice, no matter what and right now he chose to leave and look for his friend.

"I don't care what you say; this is too much for me. That mask cannot be stopped as I no longer have the Master Sword, and that sounds like the only thing that can stop it in a fight." Link said.

"Oh, so you _are_ leaving. I see the lives of this entire domain are meaningless compared to one little fairy, is that right?" The Happy Mask man asked, still surprisingly calm.

"If you feel so intent on saving those lives, why don't you get that mask yourself? No, better yet, _make_ me get your mask."

At this point, Link had been walking towards the exit as he spoke, but after that last comment he stopped. Not because he wished to add something to it or await a response, but because he could no longer move of his own will. He couldn't walk, he couldn't speak, he couldn't even move his eyes. He was frozen to the spot.

"I am sorry to have to do this to you, Hero of Time, but I must have that mask returned to me and I need you to do it. Until then, I cannot allow you to leave this world." He bent down to pick up the deku mask that was still on the floor then handed it over to Link. "Take him with you. I'm sure he'll be useful on your quest."

Link suddenly felt like he could move again as the mask fell into his hands. He dared to move toward the exit, but stopped of his own accord when he analysed the situation and deemed such an act to be foolish.

"I'm curious. How do you expect me to get your mask when you can stop me so easily? I may have been the Hero of Time but you left me unable to move anything. Why don't you get that mask yourself?" Link asked, genuinely curious as opposed to an attack.

"I use my strengths to attack the mind. You use your skills to attack the physical body. The mind of Majora is too powerful for me to even touch, but you have the skill to destroy the body and the mind with the aid of the giants. That is why I need you to do this. Now, retrieve my mask for me and I shall tell you what you need to know."

Feeling as satisfied as he was going to be, Link went to put the mask somewhere on his tunic and leave, only to find there was no place that could support the mask at all. There was no room under his shield, a few remaining weapons from his previous journey took up most of the room on his belt and his pockets just weren't big enough.

"Ah yes, it seems you have reminded me of one other thing to tell you." Link abandoned looking for a place for the mask now as he turned back to the mask man. "I see you are having obvious difficulty with the placement of your new mask. Would you like me to assist?"

Link wasn't entirely sure what he meant by 'assist' but it most likely wasn't assistance by going with him, so it shouldn't matter nor take very long. He nodded to indicate he would like assistance.

"Very well. You see, I am a member of a certain order that gives a person certain power of a creature or item. In my case, the order focuses on masks. As a member, I can pass on that power to possible potentials and so I shall give it to you in order to aid you." The Happy Mask man explained.

By now he had reached the boy, Link, who just stood there taking this in. The mask man had a smile upon his face the entire time even when he suddenly placed both of his hands on Link's shoulders, holding him firmly in place. To Link, he thought it would feel like the passing of magic through a person similar to the feeling he had when he was surrounded by Majora's power, but it didn't. Instead, it felt like a weight had been placed upon his back that quickly vanished. The mask man released his grip on Link and stepped back a bit to give him room before continuing.

"You now have the gift to possess as many masks as you wish without having to inconvenience yourself at all. Go on, put that mask away as if you had a pack like mine."

Link looked at the man, then at the mask before doing as instructed. He reached behind his back with the mask in hand when he felt the weight of the mask lessen. Turning to look at it he could see that the mask was vanishing the further back he put his arm. A moment later and the whole mask was gone into the invisible nothingness.

"As there are so many masks throughout the many worlds, members of the order require their own personal pack to store the masks they obtain so that they may get them quickly. As a new member, your pack is concealed to all and has no mass making weight not an issue. Do not worry. You will not be called to any meetings as a member, you just posses the power the order grants you." The mask man added, seeing Link didn't want to join club get-togethers every Saturday lunchtime.

"Now, I believe that is all. I wish you good luck in this task and that it be completed quickly." The Happy Mask man bowed once more to which Link did not return the gratitude as he left.

Feeling an essence of happiness as he pushed the doors open with his real, Hylian hands the light of an early morning shone down on him as well as a cold glare from an evil-looking moon above him.

He hadn't noticed before as he hadn't cared to look, but it was strange to see all these people still walking around enjoying their normal lives despite their demise being in plain sight. Children were walking happily with their parents to school while at one stall a man was chatting up the female vender. Was it all just ignorance of their deaths or did they have some kind of universal hope they could all hold on to? Link didn't know, and right now he doubted he ever could.

All that did matter now was finding those giants and right now Link had no idea where to go to look for them. You'd think that would be one of the most obvious questions to ask when told the legend, but not to Link's now cold and calculating mind.

_I have heard legends that one of the fabled giants protects our land in Woodfall._

Dreek. How could he hear him when they were not connected? Perhaps because they were tied as one, a bond exists when in close proximity that allows them to talk. Just when things seemed at their worst.

"So, which way to go? Any ideas Link?" Tatl asked.

"Dreek said there might be one in Woodfall." Link replied, shifting through the crowds until he could find a bench to sit on.

"Dreek said…he spoke to you!?"

"Yeah. From the mask. The mask man said he still lived inside so he must be communicating to me through it somehow." Link answered, sitting down on the bench.

"Then maybe…come on!" Tatl yelled, giving Link's sleeve a quick tug and preparing to dash off.

"What for?"

"I think we can help Dreek. Come on!" She called again, then did dash off.

"Wait, come back!" Link shouted back, then sighed. Getting up off the bench he just sat down on he ran after the fairy being that she was the one who knew the land best and was acting as her guide. That would be the reason Link would give to bringing Tatl back in time with him despite knowing he didn't mean to.

Following the same path as he did that morning, three mornings ago, he wound through the crowds and found the same grassy park he and Tatl had sat down at to give each other details. She didn't stop there, though. Instead she flew over to the city wall that branched inwards, dividing the park from the market, and flew into a perfectly formed hole. Link caught up and stared at the wall, seeing and feeling it as nothing more than a wall. He was quickly proven wrong a moment later when the wall vanished to reveal a cave and the smug fairy floating in the middle of it.

"Come on, this way!" The fairy called out once more. She dashed down the cave but at a slower pace than she had done through the town allowing Link to keep close to her.

Following Tatl down the surprisingly damp cave, Link could swear he could hear the sound of music, or was it sobbing? The earthy walls of the cave soon turned into a neatly tiled floor with water running through the cracks. Looking up there lay a large marble ring held up by a few pillars all covered in running water from an unknown source. It was easy to tell from the elegant – if not bathroom like look – that this was a Great fairy fountain.

Such monasteries were rare in number and very difficult to find due to the fact that they hide themselves from those wishing to abuse their power. Link had discovered a couple during his previous quest so he knew what they were like, but even with that knowledge something was different about this fountain and this, too, was easy to tell.

"Great Fairy! What happened?" Tatl shouted whilst flying towards the Great fairy.

Within the centre of the pool of water created by the fountains were a large amount of sprite fairies all huddled together. Sprite fairies are larger than ordinary fairies and have more obvious physical features in contrast to the normal fairies spherical glow hiding their bodies.

"The skull kid has cursed me with that mask and shattered my body into the fragments you see before you. The last of my shards is in the city where it could not enter my cave, due to the skull kid making the seal that will only open to a lesser fairy, hence how you got to me." The many floating shards of the Great Fairy said in unison.

"Do _not_ call us lesser fairies. I keep having to tell you that. Just because you have different gifts than us it doesn't make us any less than you." Tatl replied angrily.

"But you did not know of my dilemma." The Great fairy continued, ignoring Tatl. "So why did you come to my fountain?"

Tatl calmed herself before explaining why she dragged Link across town. "We have a friend who's mind and soul has been trapped in a mask and I was wondering if you might have the power to restore his body."

"Sadly, even with my body restored, such a spell is beyond me."

Tatl dropped slightly at the disappointment of a failed idea. At first she hadn't known if she could trust Dreek, but with the way he opened up in front of the astronomer she felt like Dreek could possibly be a friend and she so desperately wanted as many friends as she could.

"Was that all? If so then I would request that if you find my missing fragment, please return it to me so my body can be restored." The Great Fairy asked. Tatl would have flat out refused and more, but held her tongue as such an act would be passed through to the Fairy Queen and fortune would not smile upon her then.

Link didn't say anything in response either. One deal was enough for Link, especially as it was such a big one and this fairy didn't act as nice as the Hylian Great Fairies.

"I shall grant you this mask with what power I can. It is a sign of trust amongst fairies and should attract my shard if you see it. Remember, only a lesser fairy can open the lock to my cave so make sure that little one remains with you. Thank you, and farewell."

From the centre of the Great Fairy's fragments came a mask with the same face as all the other Great Fairies Link had previously seen, including the three long strands of pink hair flowing behind it. Link grabbed it as soon as it floated close enough and placed it in his newly-given pack next to Dreek. Looking up, the Great Fairy had gone leaving him and Tatl alone in the shimmering water of the fairy fountain. Neither one wasted any time in leaving.

"I swear, one of these days there's going to be another fairy war and this time we will gain equality. You better not be thinking of helping that selfish harpy, Link." Tatl ranted.

"I have no intention of going any further out of my way than I have to." Link coolly replied.

"Good. It's about time those 'Great' fairies learnt not to order us around all the time and do things themselves."

Both fell silent after that but Link wanted to know more about the fairy war Tatl mentioned. There had been no such thing throughout the history of Hyrule, so what was so different with this world that there was a war? Tatl didn't look like she could calmly talk about it, which is why he, instead, tried talking to Dreek the soldier about it.

"_What can you tell me about the fairy war?"_ Link asked silently, hoping that he could establish a connection.

_The fairy war? Why would you want to know about that?_

"_You can ask me questions later. Tell me about the war."_

_Hm, fine. In this world, fairies all come from one place. The Fairy Queen's fountain. It is a monarchy with a Queen fairy ruling over all, the Great Fairies acting as nobles and helping to keep things in order then the rest of the working classes as in any other monarchy._

_The war began due to the Great fairies growing too self-righteous and thinking that they were above the working classes, which they were, but acted like they were beneath them. I heard the Queen tried to correct the Great fairies and their behaviour right from the start, but that is uncertain. The rest of the fairies grew tired of being treated this way and made complaints, to which the Great fairies used their powers, magical and political, to ruin as many as possible and even banish the extreme radicals from entering the luxury of the Queen's fountain again._

"_So they rebelled."_

_Precisely. The Great Fairies had strong powers, but the "lesser" fairies were much greater in number and proved to be a possible threat. The consequences of the war almost destroyed the Queen's fountain and thus the monarchy itself leading to chaos, but the Queen stopped it before it went that far. The powers of the Great fairies were lowered and were made sure to be kept in line whilst the lesser fairies were given back what was taken from them but were also lessened in power as punishment for starting the war. They accepted it so long as the Great fairies behaved._

"_Not all are behaving though. The Great fair we just met kept calling Tatl a lesser fairy and took offence. She said she felt another war would occur."_

_If that attitude spreads, it might. The last war resulted in a reduction of power, but that was about 200 years ago and their powers may have slowly returned to them and increased, making the damage greater than before. Very few know of that war and no-one knows where the Queen's fountain is, but it is feared by all who know that another war may bring the whole country into it should the Great fairies request aid from Ikana. That would spell disaster for us all._

"_Why? Is this Ikana a strong military nation?"_

_You will understand if we go there. For now, I must lead you to my home in Woodfall and see if we can find this giant. I wonder if…the princess will know._

Just when he thought Dreek was becoming the kind of person he could talk to, he had to think of something so distracting and ruin the mood. Link only hoped Dreek would try and shut her out again instead of letting his weakness take control once more.


	8. Chapter 8: Enter the swamp

**Chapter 8: Enter the Swamp**

A few hours had passed since Link and Tatl had left Clock Town as the edge of a forest came into view. According to Dreek's directions, there was a gap in the forest that would lead them deeper inside and eventually to Woodfall, home of the dekus. He also couldn't help but notice a very large, hollowed log lying on the ground acting like a tunnel. It would make anyone wonder what kind of a tree could have a trunk that big.

As they all drew closer to the opening, Tatl seemed to slow down as she looked around at the scenery. Link didn't even notice until she quickly flew past him and up to a large tree next to the path they needed to head down.

"Oh. I remember this."

Link caught up with the fairy and looked at the tree with her to see a crude drawing of the skull kid and both of the fairies carved onto the tree.

"Tael and I drew this with the skull kid the first time we met him. He told us he had been fighting with his friends and that they had left him all alone."

Something that seemed to make sense to Link. A person who had his fun by hiding and jumping out on people can't have had many friends if they didn't agree with what he was doing. But still, to just leave him alone? That was harsh.

"It was pouring with rain and we were roaming the land, as we did, and looking for shelter to stay dry. We found that log just behind us now and took shelter there. That's where we found him, shivering all by himself with no-one to keep him comfort."

To Link, this sounded almost exactly like his first meeting with Saria, the Kokiri girl from the forest. Mido had a few of his friends with him and took Link to a part of the woods where nobody would see what they did. Together they all beat and kicked Link around in the mud, laughing the entire time and calling him names just because he didn't have a fairy yet. Link tried to fight back, but being outnumbered 5 to 1 meant he was suppressed easily and made his efforts futile.

They soon left him alone, in the rain, covered in mud and crying. He was different and somehow that warranted them to beat him and laugh at their pleasure, not caring at all for the feelings of this freak-child. He stayed there for hours, fearing that if he returned he would be bullied again, but it was then that he was found by Saria, running back to her home from her spot in the sacred meadow. That was the first time they met each other and it was thanks to her that Link found the courage to return home and not care what Mido said from then on.

"We spent the next day playing together and became good friends, all three of us. We carved this here in honour of that day and as proof of our friendship. Of course, it wasn't long before he got that mask and then…well, you know."

Of course he knew! It was because of him that he was on this insane quest in the first place!

_Let me speak to her. I wish to comfort her._

"_You will do no such thing. The strong are able to get over problems by themselves. Only the weak rely on others to give them strength."_

_This coming from the one who only ran from his problems because it was easier than over-coming them._

Link didn't reply to this as any response wouldn't help him. He just remained silent and walked on ahead allowing Tatl to catch up. She kept on staring at the drawing on the tree for another moment or two then snapped herself out of the gaze and flew after Link having now entered the border of Woodfall territory.

As he continued, the forest began to grow more dense and a feel of the Kokiri forest seemed to return to him, as if he were walking home. Sadly, the feel of the forest was similar to the time Ganondorf had coveted it with his darkness causing the soil to darken and the grass to become dull and useless. In this forest there was a strange gas of some kind covering the earth in a small layer, dissipating into the air when Link walked through and kicked it aside as if it had done something to offend him.

Tatl was fine as she flew above it and seemed immune to the effects it brought, but as they moved further into the forest the concentration of the gas grew and Link began to feel it for himself. His vision was becoming more and more blurred and his footing was weakening as well making a straight line difficult to walk.

Link had never been to a swamp before so he didn't know that some swamps emitted gasses toxic to humans, but more importantly he had never been to Termina before where there were some elements unfamiliar to the world of Hyrule and Link was about to discover the near extent of what these new elements could do to the body.

The boy, the fairy and the mask all came out into a clearing from the trees to find a large river of some kind winding through a gap in the woods. This river, however, was where the gas was coming from and it was evident by the sickly colour of the water. Tatl flew on ahead a little to see if there was any way around it so Link followed in order to hear her. He didn't even make it to the bank of the river before his vision became so blurred that he couldn't see anything clearly anymore and collapsed to the floor with his incredibly poor movement. The visible gas, now rising over his fallen head, wasted no time in being inhaled through Link's shallow breathing and a moment later he was out.

---

Link could hear voices. At first he couldn't recognise them, but he soon realised that one of them was Tatl. The other he couldn't guess. He tried to open his eyes to see who it was but this proved a difficult task as the strain upon them was great. The attempt of sight seemed to be noticed as the unknown voice spoke again but closer to him this time.

"No, no. Don't move. Not just yet. Just lie there for now."

Link did as the voice told him to do somehow knowing that this person knew what he was doing in order to help him. Suddenly a palm was placed upon his chest where his lungs would be and gave an unexpected push, winding him slightly. Were he able to move he would have instantly put his sword to their throat for attempting such an action, but his temper cooled when he noticed his breathing was more as it should be and strength seemed to return to him.

"You should be able to move a little now. Here, drink this."

Experimenting his new movement abilities, Link opened his eyes to be met with a slight blur still, but enough to see basic shapes including the glass being offered to him. Link slowly drank the red liquid down feeling a bitter taste and his strength returning to him, as did his sight.

Taking the opportunity he looked around his surroundings to see just what kind of place he was in. There were various coloured symbols across the walls and a large amount of bottles with strange liquids and items in them. Then he saw the person who had helped him.

"Gah! You…what…how?" Link blurted out.

"Rest easy boy. I have no intention of fighting you again."

Standing in front of Link was one of the two Gerudo witches who had kidnapped one of the Sages of Hyrule and raised Ganondorf to be the evil tyrant he was destined to become. Link had defeated them both and their combined form of Twinrova once in the heart of the Spirit Temple and assumed them dead, not to be alive and in a completely different world!

"How can I be sure?" Link asked cautiously.

"Because I could have easily let the swamp gas take your life. Instead I brought you back to my hut and saved you from almost certain death. You owe me your life, boy, not that I would call upon that."

"Yeah, Link. You should be more grateful to her." Tatl added.

Easy for her to say. Link hadn't got to the Spirit Temple in his re-telling of his first quest so she didn't know what these two witches were capable of. Hang on…two witches.

"Where is Koume?" Link asked directly.

The icy-blue haired witch turned away as if she hadn't heard the question, so he asked her again to get a response.

"I don't know." She replied.

"You lost her?" Link asked blandly.

"She went out to gather ingredients for potions a couple of days ago and hasn't returned since. I fear she may have lost me, which is why I went out to find her. As a result, I found you and here we are. Fate is a funny thing, isn't it."

Link ignored the last comment remembering all too well hearing the exact same words come from her before their last battle. He had never liked them then and he still didn't like either one of them now. He had no reason to trust them, believe them or help them so all he wanted to do now was hurry and leave to find this giant in order to go home. He tried to push himself off the bed and leave but was again stopped by the hand of the witch.

"Whoa now. I may have given you some of my healing potion but you still need to wait a little while before your body is better again. That was no normal gas you know." Kotake said.

"I don't care. If it's just a little while, I'll heal as I move." Link said while pushing himself back up again. He walked to the door of the hut they were in when it suddenly developed a sheet of ice over it. Link stood still awaiting an explanation which soon came.

"Even cured against the swamp gas, you won't find your way to the Woodfall temple that easily, boy." Kotake calmly said.

"How..." Link asked, then turned to see the fairy sitting on one of the tables. _How much did you tell her?_ He thought. "So how do I get there?" Link bitterly asked.

"Help me find my sister and I'll escort you to the deku palace. They will lead you the rest of the way."

Link had to think about this for a moment. He despised these witches as the worst beings next to Ganondorf so helping them would be disgusting to even think about. However, it was most likely that he could not get to the deku palace by himself. He had Dreek, but there was something about this new person that made talking to him not a welcome thing. There was also the factor of keeping your enemies closest, so travelling with this fiend for a short while would make him feel safer than the possibility of them both following him for a surprise attack.

"Fine." Link finally said.

The ice covering the door dissipated into the air as a broom magically appeared beneath Kotake's feet. Flying over, she opened the door herself, as Link was unwilling to do so, followed by Tatl and finally Link. With a slight blur still in his vision Link nearly missed the ladder at the edge of the platform and almost walked right off if it weren't for Tatl quickly warning him and pointing him in the right direction.

Once he was on the ground again Link was able to look at his new surroundings which were much different than the ones before. They were back in the swamp again with a pool of water around the tree-hut from which they came, except this water was clean and not full of the same swampy textures that threatened to kill Link. The trees were denser around this place as well, apart from two areas which had pathways leading further into the woods. Kotake lead them down the pathway that looked darker than the other one. Link had suspicions, but chose not to voice them as he obediently followed.

---

Tael continued to ram into the magic walls set in place by Majora. No matter what he would continue until he was free and able to find his sister once again. It was approaching the evening and the two had never spent that much time apart from each other. He just had to break free.

Watching the city below him, Majora turned to see one last attempt from the blackened fairy.

"How many futile attempts do you require before you realise you have no hope?" Majora asked.

Tael kept on pushing until he felt drained of his energy, causing him to collapse to the floor. He couldn't even fly right now.

"How many legends does it take to show that evil never wins?" Tael asked in response.

"Why you little pest!" Majora said through clenched teeth.

He curled his hand as if holding something then threw it up, throwing Tael up as a consequence to the magic Majora was conjuring. A swift motion of the hand and Tael was back on the ground again, panting to get his breath back.

"Don't you ever talk that way to me again! I will not tolerate it!" Majora shouted.

"What will you do?" Tael asked curiously.

"What will I do?" Majora repeated.

Actually, what would he do? He could keep throwing him about but for some reason he doubted that it would silence the fairy. He was becoming stronger, more like his sister. He could kill him. Yes, that was a possibility. It seemed like he had no use anymore anyway. Looking down upon the city had shown him that the boy had left quite some time ago. He even managed to break the curse set upon him but this had been dismissed due to the temporary lapse in power and deemed the curse weak. There was no sign that they were coming back so there was no need to keep this fairy alive. Before doing so, he decided to toy with his prisoner.

"If I told you that I would kill you, what would you do?" Majora asked.

"I would remind you again that evil never wins and accept my fate." Tael replied without a seconds thought.

"So be it."

Majora floated back down to the Clock Tower roof and held Tael in his hand, staring at him with glowing eyes.

"Tell those you meet that their time is almost up." Majora calmly requested.

"I shall."

The shadow that lingered over his body turned an even darker shade than it already was and consumed the wings along with the body. Majora closed his hand over the dying fairy and allowed the separated particles of energy to flow through his puppet's arm and into his mask. The mind, body and soul of Tael the fairy no longer existed in this world as the strength of Majora increased with another soul added to his collection.

Something about the fairy had changed significantly but it was something that was of no more concern as the problem no longer existed. He had to admit, though, the noble side of him that challenged him and accepted the punishment was something to admire. Very few of his victims had that quality but those that did he enjoyed the most. They had the stronger souls, and provided more of a challenge in a fight. One of his first souls had shown him that.

Cutting himself short of old memories, Majora looked calmly to the south and to the swamp where that boy had gone. He did not possess the same nobleness as his greater souls, but nonetheless he had a powerful essence that would make his conquest all the easier. He wanted this boy and now he felt like going to see him.

"Time for some fun." Majora said to himself before floating towards the swamp.

---

With the time spent getting to the swamp, being unconscious and searching for the lost witch, sundown was approaching and what little light could get through the clump of tree was slowly diminishing. Link knew they only had a three day time limit until the moon crashed into the earth and already it was obvious that releasing all four giants in that time would be impossible, let alone two!

The three had searched a large portion of the forest already in hopes of finding the fire witch and no sign had been found. Link had remained silent throughout the search not wishing to talk to either the witch or the fairy as he just felt in a bad mood for wasting so much time.

"Ohhh, where could she be?" Kotake asked worriedly.

Her question was answered by a sudden, loud scream and a blast of fire flying up high into the air. Recognising it as her sister's magic Kotake added to the current speed of her broom and darted between the trees to the source of the scream. Reluctantly, Link ran after her with Tatl staying close to Link in case she needed to warn him of anything. In less than a minute, Kotake had found her fiery sister lying on the ground in a weakened slump.

"Koume! Here, drink this quickly" Kotake ordered, handing her a similar red potion she had given to Link.

Her shallow breathing became deeper and more frequent as the potion began to have an affect allowing her to whisper her thanks to her sister. A moment later and she would have used her growing strength to explain what had happened, but only if she hadn't seen the boy who slayed her run in soon after.

"Ahh! What's he doing here!?" Koume yelled.

"Koume, sister, calm yourself. I found him in the swamp dying from the gas. I saved him so he won't try to kill us, will you boy?" Kotake rhetorically asked. Link made no motion.

"He's still a little sour from what our dark lord did to him." Kotake added jokingly.

"That still doesn't explain what he's doing here." Koume stated.

"Nor does it for the two of you. I thought I killed you." Link said, speaking for the first time in hours.

"You'd be amazed what kinds of things your son can do when he has the Triforce of Power. Revival is not beyond his power, as you saw from Volvagia, and we are his parents after all." Kotake slyly replied.

Link had heard that much from some of the Gerudo warriors in passing, as well as from Nabooru the Spirit Sage, however even if Ganondorf did revive the two witches it did not explain them being in Termina or their sudden personality change to niceness.

"I'm sure you wish to interrogate us more," Koume said, breaking the short silence, "but I would like to return to our hut so you can question us on the way back. Any favour my sister may have promised can be paid once we are done."

Still agitated by the complete waste of time, Link felt he had no choice but to comply and walked behind the two sister witches as they floated back on their flying brooms. Leaving the small clearing together, nobody noticed the malevolent mask floating above what could have been a new soul for his ever-expanding collection.

"So you say Link killed you and that your son revived you. Who are you two exactly?" Tatl inquisitively asked.

"This fairy is not your old companion?"

"Navi ran away." Kotake whispered to her sister. Link chose to ignore it. "In any case, we are the two Gerudo witches, Koume and Kotake, mother to the infamous Ganondorf King of Evil and rulers of the harsh Gerudo desert. At least, that's who we used to be. Then your little friend showed up and killed us in order to awaken the last Sage of Hyrule. That should have been it for us, but with 300 or so years behind us we had a couple of favours we could call in and we were revived by a would-be dark lord in a far away land. One merciless kill later and we were free to do what we wanted!"

"And that lead to the fresh start?" Tatl asked.

"Not at first, no." Koume explained. "We were struck down by that accursed Master sword and with the intricate complications of time travel, we were revived in the time when you were still a child. We wasted no time in picking up old hobbies of pillaging villages and destroying castles, but we grew bored after a while and decided to try new hobbies. Sadly we still had a bad reputation in many lands despite them having not seen Ganondorf come to power so we decided to find some place new and start fresh. Soon enough we find our way to this place and open a potions shop with all kinds of ingredients. No more than a week later and we find you."

"It's not exactly a good enough reason for me to believe it or trust it." Link said coldly, stepping on a fallen twig as he walked behind the witches.

"True, it's not, but that's the story we have to tell and whether you believe it or not, it's the only story we shall tell." Koume replied equally as cold.

"Now we've explained why we are here, you tell us what you are doing here." Kotake demanded.

"She didn't tell you?" Link asked, looking at Tatl.

"Only that you two were looking for some giants. No major details."

Link had to think for a moment. He could lie and come up with some phoney story for finding the giants, or some different story completely but what exactly would that accomplish? Sure, a cover for the real story but did he have a reason – besides not trusting them – to hide his current aim? There was also the matter if Tatl would catch on and if she did, would she play along. In the end, he took a chance and told the truth.

"I need to find these giants so I can settle a deal." Link summarised.

"What kind of a deal?" Kotake asked, Koume deciding to let her sister do the talking.

"I get some mask that he wants, I get my freedom."

"Freedom?" Kotake asked in surprise. "You said so yourself that defeating Ganondorf and completing your destiny would ensure your eternal freedom. Why would you need to make a deal to get what you say you already have?"

"He has the power to deny me the right to return to the world I was born in. I'm stuck in this world until I fulfil our deal." Link explained.

"So why not ignore the deal and make a new life here?"

"On a doomed planet?" Link asked, looking up at the plummeting moon.

"Ah. So it really is threatening our new way of life." Kotake replied. "And what do you intend to do to stop it?"

"Suddenly I don't feel in the mood for talking anymore. Tatl, you seem good with people. You translate." Link ordered.

"Uh, ok." Tatl said, surprised by the sudden push of attention to her.

It unnerved her. Link was rude in the way that he simply brushed off the witches, but he was oddly polite in the way he was rude by giving a compliment to her. This boy was like no other and very hard to predict at times which, again, made her wonder if travelling with him was really worth all the hassle it was causing. The last trail of thought was still remembered from the last time she nearly lost herself so she knew it was best in the long run. All she had to do now was make it by in the short run.

"The mask man told us about these giants that lived in the four corners of the land. Apparently they have the power to stop Majora, the one responsible for this, and save the land from his wrath." Tatl began.

"Majora? I've read ancient scriptures about that. They said something about a soul-stealer." Koume spoke up.

"I don't know about that, but I can tell you that it's some kind of evil mask that has taken control of my friend, a skull kid, and is now aiming to destroy the world. Only these four giants can stop it from colliding and one of them is said to be here in Woodfall Temple, hence why we are here searching for it." Tatl continued.

"It doesn't look like you have much time to find these giants before the world is destroyed." Koume replied, taking another look up at the moon. Link seemed to make a noise in agreement, but nobody added anything to it. "How do you expect to do it?"

"Well, to be perfectly honest, we don't. Link has this instrument that took us back in time so we should be able to keep doing it until we've saved them all." Tatl explained.

"Ah, the Ocarina of Time. I see Zelda trusted you enough to give you the sacred item." Koume correctly stated

The group of four kept walking back to the treetop potion shop while the group of three kept talking, Link standing by his claim of not feeling up to talking much. Upon returning both sisters flew up and inside without Link who was restrained by Tatl, saying they deserve a moment alone after being lost from each other for a while. Koume was getting adjusted and ready to sit back behind the counter to cover for her sister while she prepared to leave again and direct Link to the Deku Palace.

"I wonder." Koume mused.

"Hmm?" Kotake replied, grabbing a map from a box.

"I wonder if we should have told the boy that it was really that mask man the fairy spoke of who revived us, not some far away dark lord." Koume finished, now leaning on the counter.

"I think not. That boy is awfully sceptical and if he knew we had a deal with him as well, he might go back and challenge him to a fight, which he may win." Kotake voiced.

"Remind me again why that is a bad thing."

"Because if he is destroyed then his power will have nowhere to go, allowing Majora to absorb it and become invincible! As much as I love the concept of an invincible being, we wouldn't be needed and we would die along with the rest of the world. Do you want to die…again?" Kotake asked.

"Well, considering how much torture it was the last time, I think I do want to put it off for as long as possible." Koume realised.

"Exactly. Now I have to go before that boy gets suspicious and thinks we're plotting against him."

"He already does." Koume pointed out.

"I know, but I mean making actual plans to stab him in the back. You'd think the same thing if the roles were reversed."

"True. Alright, go. I'll see you later."

With that Kotake did open the door and glide down to the boy in green and his new fairy on the back of her broomstick, map in hand.

"Alright, follow me."

Kotake flew towards the opposite way she did when looking for Koume at a speed which both Link and Tatl could follow comfortably. With everyone up to speed, there was no real reason for any of them to talk, and so nobody even uttered a word as they passed around and away from the harmful swamp gasses.

Why exactly the mask man wanted the two of them was something both sisters constantly thought about ever since their revival. For all he knew they could have still been evil, which they were. It's just a shame for them that the mask man is so good at making a deal. The deal of which they made is that he had revived them, even left all of their powers intact, but were magically sworn to never use their powers to harm innocents and to help Link when he came looking for a giant.

Well, so far they had yet to harm any innocents, but mainly because the magical deal prevented them from doing so yet now was the part of the deal that was totally voluntary yet also had to be done in order to sustain their lives. If the mask man died, then their deal would be broken and they could revert to their old ways instantly, if it weren't for the fact that they would die to Majora's power no matter where they went.

It was one of those screwed-by-the-contract moments that kept those in power with power and those without under that power. Not something they minded when working for Ganondorf, but he aimed for destruction, not welfare for others.

And now she was helping Link to find the giant. Just because they couldn't harm innocents it didn't erase any hard feelings they still harboured from being killed by him in the first place. Hell was hell! And it was him who sent them there, but a deal is a deal and currently the deal was to take him to the Woodfall Temple.

A half hour or so later, the trio came to a clearing amongst the trees that was hard to see with the human eye to reveal the most wonderous structure that could ever exist in any forest. Standing at around 50ft high and who knows how long was the giant wooden Palace of the Dekus with a look similar to a human palace. Having done her job, Kotake turned around to leave.

"Well, there you go. The Deku Palace. That's our deal done, now I'm going home. Any objections?" Kotake asked before waiting a second then really leaving.

Slowly walking up to the Palace, Tatl was still in slight awe of how such a building could exist in a swamp and at just how amazing it looked. Link was impressed, but not as much as Tatl.

_Now you need me._ Dreek spoke to Link.

"_Now?"_

_I may not be able to read your mind when in this pack of yours but I can still hear things and you could have easily used me to get to the Palace. You didn't, so I accepted it and said nothing what with you being so stubborn. _Dreek replied.

"_So why do I need you now? Hylians aren't allowed in?"_

_No human has entered in a few hundred years. You can try if you want, but odds are they won't chance it. Just let me in._

Deciding against speaking further Link reached back into the invisible pack and picked Dreek out of it before placing it on his face. This was the first time he had even attempted it so he wasn't sure what to expect. A sudden jab of pain was something he did not expect. He cried out for a moment then stopped suddenly as the pain vanished, along with his human form. Now he was just as he was when he was cursed, trapped inside the body of a deku.

Dreek instantly took control and marched towards the Palace gate. Upon arriving at the gate, two relatively large dekus jumped up out of the ground and blocked the way forwards.

"Halt! Who approaches?" One guard asked.

"Commander Dreek of the royal guard. I have returned from my mission and I have information that the King must hear." Dreek reported.

"Very well. I'll let the others know to let you in."

The guard jumped back into the ground then sprung back out a moment later, gliding towards the throne room by a way of holding on to a pair of large, rapidly rotating leaves. The other guard stood to a side allowing Dreek and the hidden Tatl to enter.

_You used your real name. Why? _Link asked.

"_As much trouble as you think it will cause, it will be much easier to get aid and resources using these connections. Saying we were some scrub from another land requesting help would take weeks just to be allowed near the temple. Trust me, it's easier this way."_

Trust? That was one of the emotions he had given up a long time ago and wasn't willing to retrieve it any time soon. It was better to be in control and have no need for trust, yet he now noticed it had been a long time since he had had any control over anything. Although he would never mention the words, it was a cruel work of fate.


	9. Chapter 9: The Great Deku Palace

**Chapter 9: The Great Deku Palace**

Walking down the long, wooden corridors of the Deku Palace was Dreek, Commander of the Deku Royal Guard and Tatl who remained hidden under the long green hat that remained due to some of Link's physical characteristics. Link didn't bother to count how many times he, or they, were saluted as they continued towards the throne room but he knew it was still a lot, be it because of his high status or because of how many guards were situated throughout the entirety of the Palace.

Along the way they also passed a massive library where many scholars also waved to Dreek, being the top graduate. Many of them had patches of sap on them that seemed similar to human spots or freckles. Dreek gave them a simple wave as he continued to walk by, pleasing Link as he didn't hope to stay with these dekus for too long.

A few more minutes passed as the long corridors came to an eventual end, leading to a final two guards standing with large, heavy spears next to an even larger oak door. Nodding to show they had heard of his arrival, one slid open a panel and whispered some words to another guard on the other side before opening the door. The opening was greeted with an introduction and a grand chair in which sat the great Deku King.

His attire was made entirely of leaves and other wood-like components, but dressed up in a kingly way. A chain of leaves was woven into a sash worn over the left shoulder and a grass skirt made from long blades of grass falling half way down his legs. Dreek knew it so he didn't bother to look, but Link couldn't help but notice that the king also had a large spear resting against his chair.

"Commander Dreek! Welcome back." The King greeted. "You are a few days later than even you anticipated, but I trust that your return means you have completed your mission."

"I have, sire. I must start by saying, however, that what I have found out is not good news." Dreek began.

"Oh? Not good news?"

"Yes, sire. The moon is indeed drawing closer, but it's not falling. It's being pulled."

"Pulled?!" The King exclaimed in shock, eyes wide. "What could possibly be pulling the moon?!"

"That is the bad news, sire. According to information I managed to obtain in Clock Town it could quite possibly be the single greatest threat the entire land has faced. An ancient evil named Majora."

"Majora?" The King asked, confused by the name. "I have never heard that name before."

"Neither had I, sire, until I investigated more. I found documents of an old legend saying that this Majora almost conquered the entire world many decades ago, but was stopped by the four guardian giants of the land."

"The ones that supposedly live in each compass providence?"

"The very same." Dreek confirmed.

The King rested his head on his hand for a moment as he did what he could to process this new information and to try and piece things together. Dreek stood perfectly still, a soldier's stance, while awaiting a response from his King.

"You are quite certain that whatever is pulling the moon is this Majora you speak of?"

"There is no doubt." Dreek voiced. "Using a sketch from the documents and the aid of the astronomer I was able to see the mask of Majora, the only form it currently has, standing atop the Clock Tower beckoning the moon closer."

"A mask, you say? A mask is just a mask, even if it does house this incredible power to call the moon. How can it stand upon the Clock Tower?" The King exclaimed.

"It would seem that when someone wears the mask, the mask itself slowly works to gain total control over the wearer until the body has no self control left. By what I could tell through the astronomer's telescope, it was a skull kid who was foolish enough to don the mask and doom us all."

Dreek's last sentence caused Tatl to fume. A battle ensued between wanting to zip out and slap him, and staying put to keep their cover. Fortunately, the latter side won.

"You say this Majora was stopped before by the guardian giants. Is it not possible to call them again and protect our land once more?"

"I believe so, sire, which is another reason why I have returned. I suspect that the spirit of one of the giants may rest in the Woodfall Temple. Perhaps I could go and try to establish contact." Dreek suggested.

"The Woodfall Temple? I'm sorry Commander, but entrance to the temple is strictly prohibited to all persons until further notice." The King stated.

"Begging your pardon, sire, but why?"

"Two days ago, while you were still out on your mission, my daughter was kidnapped by an unknown assailant and abducted to the Woodfall Temple. We fear that approaching may put her in harms way so we are thinking of a plan of action that would not endanger her." The deku King explained.

"The princess has been kidnapped?" Dreek managed to say.

"I'm afraid so. Commander, you have had a long time away from home. I suggest you take up your old residence and rest for now. I will gather my advisors tomorrow where we can all meet and discuss a course of action."

"Of course sire."

Dreek bowed then turned to leave where the guards had already opened the doors for him. All remained silent, even in the soundproof vacancy of the mind Link chose not to speak to Dreek for now as they headed for the private quarters the King spoke of.

Walking back down the long wooden hallways, Link took the time to again notice how many guards there were and realised it was most likely due to the scare of their kidnapped princess. Not like it would have made much of a difference. Whatever had kidnapped her it had proven it could do it under the nose of every guard in the palace, so adding more seemed useless to Link.

Finally, after a few more minutes of walking down more oddly similar hallways Dreek stopped at a door with his military name engraved on it before turning the handle and going in. Once the door was closed, the talking began.

"Oh it feels so good to be out from under that hat. So, hey, Dreek. You ok?" Tatl asked, stretching her arms and wings.

"Of course, why wouldn't I be?" Dreek replied, sitting down on a large, elegant flower in the corner of the room.

"Well, it's just your King said the princess had been kidnapped. I just thought you might be a little..."

"Upset?" Dreek finished.

"Yeah. But, you're not?" Tatl asked, sensing the calm tone of his voice.

"It's like I told the professor. It's likely that I'm stuck in this form forever, so I should accept it and let everything go."

"Well, if that's what you feel you need to do." Tatl replied.

Figuring that anything else said would recieve roughly the same answer, Tatl gave up and sat on the edge of the window, looking out into the courtyard of the Palace. Dreek simply sat back on the flower, that was the equivalent of a human bed, and looked at his room again after having been away from it for almost a week. It was quite basic with only the bare neccesities such as a bed, table and chair and a chest of draws all spread around the room.

Despite the room being basic, it was basic in an upper class way. It was the way Dreek liked it as it allowed him to get away from the rest of the world and truly be by himself where nothing could touch him. Sadly, that was no longer possible.

_We only have two more days before we all get crushed. You better get us to that temple quickly._ Link ordered.

_"If all goes well then we should be able to go after the meeting tomorrow. Nothing can be done now so just rest."_ Dreek suggested.

Link silently agreed as he slipped into Dreek's unconciousness. Dreek intended to do so himself, but he couldn't stop thinking about the princess and what kind of torment she could be suffering in the temple. He wanted to be over her, to be able to forget her and move on with what little life he still had, but he just couldn't forget about her. Why? Had he perhaps let out more than he wanted to when confessing to the astronomer?

He needed to talk to someone about it, but he couldn't without explaining his being dead. He had felt Link dip into the dark corners of his mind so perhaps it would be safe to talk without him butting in. He wasn't sure, but it was worth the risk.

A while had passed since they first entered the room and Tatl had spent most of it fluttering around the Palace grounds checking it out in silence. The sun had set now and she had returned to the room, mainly because her glow would show her off to many people when she wanted to remain inconspicuous. This was who Dreek wanted to talk to and now was when he wanted to do it.

"Hey, Tatl?"

"Hm?" Tatl responded.

"Do you miss your brother?" Dreek asked.

"Do I miss Tael? Well, of course. That's why I came with you, to help rescue him."

"So, how do you deal with that?"

Slightly startled at the question, Tatl glided over to the table and sat on the edge to think about it for a moment. Dreek remained sitting on his flower bed.

"I guess...I don't." Tatl finally answered. "I think about him every day. How is he doing, what can I do to help, I keep asking myself questions like that all the time. The closest I thin I get to dealing with them is having other things to think about, such as helping you and Link."

"Oh. So you pre-occupy yourself with other matters. I see." Dreek replied.

It seemed simple enough, but Dreek had accepted there was no way back to his old self so he had nothing else to pre-occupy himself with. He would have to deal with these thoughts and endless series of questions. Maybe they would all be answered then go away once he saved her the next day...or maybe it would give him even more questions and confusing emotions. To Dreek it was all too complicated and best not to think about.

"Dreek, are you sure you're alright?" Tatl asked again.

"I'm...I don't know. I'm just going to sleep now, alright?" Dreek said, yawning.

"Yeah, you do that. I may just stay up a little longer." Tatl replied.

"Ok, goodnight then."

"Goodnight."

Dreek dove into his flower-bed and allowed the pollen to help him drift to sleep while Tatl remained on the table, thinking. She hadn't done it much recently, but listening and talking to Dreek made her want to do so.

"Oh Tael, please be alright. I don't know what I would do without you. Just please be alright." Tatl begged to the sky.

Sitting still for another half an hour, fatigue eventually caught up on Tatl as she laid back on a soft patch of soil and went to sleep.

---

Shortly after the sun rose over the horizen, the entireity of the Deku Palace had awoken and already the members of the King's council were gathering in the main consult room. Dreek awoke with the rest of the palace, but decided to stay in his room longer than he normally would to give Link and Tatl time to wake up by themselves. Link woke up shortly after Dreek did but Tatl remained asleep for a while longer. It was a friendly nudge from Dreek that awoke her to the morning of the second day.

An hour or so later once they had fully awoken and had something to eat, the trio slowly made ther way to the main consult room in order to discuss the matter of the princess and Dreek's entrance of the temple. Tatl, again, hid under the large green hat and Link also remained in the corner of the mind choosing just to listen instead of make comments. It was a chance to see how the Deku royalty dealt with problems compared to the Hylian royal family.

"So how long do you think this is going to take?" Tatl whispered.

"Normally a few hours, but this is urgent so maybe half an hour." Dreek whispered in response.

Neither said anything after that for fear they may be overheard by the guards and arise suspicion. Another minute of navigating the corridors and they arrived at the conferance. Verifying his identification once more that morning the doors were opened to reveal a large table with around twenty dekus of varying size all bickering with each other.

"I've told you time and time again that it's just too dangerous."

"And I've told you that we need to do something or else we doom her to death!"

"But any rash action could put her in grave danger! The risks are too great."

"So we just sit here and-"

"SILENCE!"

The sudden call of the Deku King rang through the room bringing the desired effects of the single word. All eyes diverted to him but his eyes were looking at Dreek, who had been waiting a minute for the anarchy to die down. After another minute of others following the eyesight to see Dreek, he walked around the table to find a seat next to the King in which he sat down. It was evident by the looks on their faces that some members of the council did not like Dreek quite possibly because of the title he possessed at his young age. Others liked him for his intelligence and obedience so it was obvious right from the start that any vote would be a near-split verdict.

"Now that we are all present, I would like to begin this meeting again." The King began.

"Your majesty, we have begun this meeting a number of times over the past few days and the ending has always remain inconclusive. What makes you think this meeting will be any different than the last?"

"The reason, Councillor Rebin, is because of some information Commander Dreek has recieved through the course of his mission. I am classifying this information to the council so that it may help in our final verdict." The King responded. "Commander, if you would."

"Of course your highness."

Dreek leant over the table spreading out a scroll that was a world map. Waiting a moment for the whole council to see the map and see how accurate it was, Dreek began.

"This is Clock Town. The centre of the Termina region and market hub of our land."

He paused for a moment to see the faces of the council and also to see if there were any obvious questions. They remained silent, however, and had fixed their gaze on Dreek waiting with anticipation for the information he had supposedly gathered.

"...And it's about to be destroyed."

A sudden and large amount of gasps erupted as arguing about what to do occured once more.

"Destroyed?!"

"By what?"

"By who?"

The council was again silenced by the King by raising his hand instead of shouting.

"The inevitable cause of this is, as we have feared, the falling of the moon. Actually, the calling of the moon. Yes, the moon is being pulled towards us by a force in Clock Town. That force? An ancient evil known as Majora."

"Majora?" Councillor Rebin repeated. "I believe I may have read that name somewhere in the old library. Is it not just a suit or a helmet?"

"Close. It is a mask, and when it is worn this kind of fate befalls us."

"So which fool was found wearing this mask?" Another councillor asked.

"A simple-minded Skull kid who didn't know better. It couldn't have been helped." Dreek answered.

"Now wait a minute, while this is indeed an urgent matter, how is it relevant to the safety of the Princess?"

"I'm glad you asked. Now, there is a way that we can stop Majora's plans and that is to reawaken the four giants who rest in the guardian temples in Termina. The Woodfall Temple is one of them so we have to enter it and find the spirit of this giant before the moon collides with us." Dreek explained.

"But any rash action by charging in could end in the death of the Princess. With no other heir in the royal family there could be chaos!"

"What chaos would there be when the world has already been destroyed by then? We have to enter or else doom the entire world!"

"And who do you suggest we send in? This is not a job that the entire army can solve by marching in. We need a small number."

"Begging the council's pardon, but I would request that I go." Dreek piped up.

For a moment, there was silence for some to process the request and others to hear it over the rabble of questions and statements. Now came the time when the split of opinion would show itself.

"You? Send you in there, alone? Madness!"

"And why is that, Councillor Belland? Dreek is a strong soldier and by sending in only one person we may be able to rescue the Princess and this giant with no injuries done to either one!"

"Exactly. It's not like anybody else has the skills to perform such a mission by themselves."

"Oh come now, don't delude yourself. He is just a boy and we all know why he really wants to go in."

"Which would give him all the motivation necessary to find and save the Princess. Let the 'boy' go!"

"Enough!" The King shouted. "We can do this calmly and rationally. Now, I propose a council vote. All those in favour of sending Commander Dreek on the rescue mission?"

At first only a few hands went up but given a moment of quick thought and half of the council agreed with the idea, predictably. The other half were strongly against it because of their dislike for Dreek, feelings of irrationality or still undecided. The King had made no vote as his was always the final decision, hence the purpose of the council. He would let the council make their decision and then make his decision based on the number of votes and the ideas voiced by the council members. Seeing the number of hands up, the King sighed as he ended the conference.

"It would appear that we have an even split of ideals between the council. Perhaps it would be wise to dismiss ourselves for now and see if we can come up with a decision at a later point of time."

"That wold be wise. Council dismissed." High Councellor Seega ordered.

The councillors all left the room in an orderly fashion, talking to each other along the way. Dreek and the King remained behind so that they may talk to each other. Neither seemed to say anything for a few minutes after the councillors left as they both waited for the other to start. With Dreek having nothing to start with, the King gave in and began for him.

"Commander, are you quite sure you want to do this? Even if you get council permission it will be a highly dangerous mission, especially alone."

"I am one of the best specialist soldiers in the entire deku army. I will be fine."

The silence started again. The King knew of Dreek's feelings for his daughter, hence why he gave her a private tutor. He also knew of his daughter's order to Dreek telling him to forget her. At first he doubted Dreek could, but later proved him wrong when he became the model soldier even on escorting the Princess to various locations. Now there was the worry that Dreek was no longer a model soldier and that those feelings had resurfaced. This hadn't occured to the King yesterday and it only came to him now due to the words of a Councillor.

"Dreek. What are your reasons for wanting to do this?" The King asked.

"I...live to serve the royal family. To hear of the Princess and not want to help would be disgraceful." Dreek answered.

"And that is the only reason?"

Dreek wanted to reply, but suddenly stopped when he had to think of how we would reply to that. Dreek knew that the King knew of his old feelings. He could make the cherade of saying that he still doesn't, but the consequences it brought and the amount of improvisation could bring on a number of complications that would make his remaining time in the deku realm quite uncomfortable. The same could also be said to telling the truth, so once again he had another tough choice of what to say.

A few more minutes of silence passed and still Dreek had no answer. Fortunately for him, no answer was necessary as the King continued. Whether this was good or bad for Dreek, he never figured out.

"You know what, forget I asked you that. Why don't I call my Butler and give you a chance to relax some more."

"No! No. I'll be fine on my own." Dreek hastily replied.

"Alright, I shall leave you to yourself. Dismissed Commander."

Saluting, Dreek got up from the chair and left the Consult room to return to his room once more. The walk back felt considerably longer, or slower, than it did on the way there. He now had a lot to think about and now he had the time to do it with the prolonging of the meeting. Now was a time to decide if he wanted to imbrace his feelings for the Princess once more or dismiss them for good. This was something he could only answer himself and right now he had no answers.

Walking back, Dreek decided to change his course and head for the Palace gardens instead. Not many people were here in the morning as most of the Palace inhabitants got to work quickly and came here later on in the day when they had earned themselves some free time.

The gardens were quite a beauty of a sight for one of any race to behold. The grass was the most lucious and green grass anywhere in the whole region and the flower beds housed some of the rarest and wonderous flowers in the world. Truly this was a place to come to forget about your worries and whittle the hours away relaxing. Strolling down the grassy walkways, Dreek eventually found a small bench in one of the corners and sat down to look around, enjoying the surrounding beauty. Taking a peak from under the hat, Tatl flew out when she saw they were alone and sat down next to Dreek.

"Wow. This place sure is pretty." Tatl marvelled.

"My father helped organise it, under the guide of the Princess of course." Dreek calmly said.

"You're father? Was he the royal florist or something?" Tatl asked, curious.

"No. He is their Butler."

"Ah!" Tatl exclaimed, then realised. "Oh. So that's why you passed up the King's offer."

"Yes." Dreek answered, sighing. "I'm not ready to meet my father just yet. Not without telling him."

Both sighed together, choosing not to talk more about it but instead to look at the gardens they were sitting in. The flowers they were currently looking at were a deep violet with a gradual change to bright yelow on the rim, petals short and round spurting in all directions. They had a delectable pollen so it was no wonder that a large portion of the insects were choosing these flowers to pollinate. For a moment they both forgot everything that was occuring until a sudden wind blew tatl a little, regaining herself.

"Well, we have a bit of time before that council comes back with an answer so we should do something while we're here." Tatl voiced.

"We could go to the upper levels. Get a higher view of the forest, or swamp." Dreek suggested.

"Alright, let's go."

Standing up from the bench, Tatl tucked herself back under the hat so she would not be seen in the halls by the guards. As they entered these halls, a familiar and unwanted voice was heard within Dreek's head.

_I have a better idea. _Link said, seizing control of the body. _Let's go to that temple now._

_"If we go before a council verdict we may not be allowed to leave." _Dreek said back, trying to regain control.

_It would take weeks for that pathetic council to even realise that the lives of the world far outweigh that of a measly Princess._

_"Are you really trying to save the world as you so claim, or just helping yourself?" _Dreek asked angrily.

_Oh, are both not possible to achieve at the same time? Perhaps we'll have to find out for ourselves._

_"There's no point. You don't even know which way to go."_

_But you do, and I've already read your mind. I know exactly where to go and just what to do when we get there. _Link reassured Dreek, an obvious air of power in his voice.

That was it. Link had control now and no matter how much he resisted there was nothing Dreek could do. He now had to sit back as Link marched out of the Palace and into forbidden territory, against the order of the council and the King. When they returned there would be trouble, but how much trouble was something that both of them had greatly underestimated.

Tatl remained oblivious to the entire conversation in the head below her and continued to believe that Dreek was taking her to the upper levels for a better view. This continued for a long time, even up to the point where they had left the Palace grounds and were outside in the clearing that Kotake had originally lead them to. Deciding to take a risk and see where they were, Tatl lifted the hat ever so slightly to see a vast amount of trees and swampy water.

"Uh, hey Dreek? I thought we were going to the upper levels." Tatl said.

"There's been a change of plans." Link replied, making no effort to change his voice to match Dreek's.

"A cha- Link? What are you doing? Ah!" Tatl screamed as Link grabbed her and pulled her out from under the hat.

"We're going straight to that temple." Link answered, opening his hand to free Tatl. "We have little time to waste and yet we wait for permission to enter."

"With good reason! A life is in danger and you could potentially be killing her." Tatl retorted.

"Only when stuck in this pitiable form." Link replied.

Having made sure Tatl was no longer on him, Link grabbed to the sides of his face and found the invisible edges of the mask. Gripping them, Link pulled until it was off causing a large amount of momentary pain which lead to regaining his old human form once again.

"Ahhh, it feels good to be me again. Now, do you wish to go back and make me go through the 'proper channels' or will you accompany me in trying to save this life you seem so interested in?"

Tatl made no noise or movement, only a delicate hovering as she decided on her course of action. It didn't take too long to see common sense as she fluttered down to Link's shoulder and sat down, showing she was staying by his side and ready to move. Link took the hint and set off through a hidden passage in the woods that lead to the secluded Woodfall Temple.

Standing on top of the main gate to the Palace was the deku King's Butler who had given himself the task of watching out for any signs of the Princess, or the capturer's, return. As a result he saw his son leave and go through the strange transformation from a deku to a young human boy. Instincts immideately told him to report this to the King and how Dreek was not really Dreek but an imposter in disguise. However, seeing as this was his son it was difficult to fully process that the joy of hearing his son's safe return was now false. Instead there was sorrow that his son still hadn't returned and the greatest fear that he may never return.

A while later, the Butler had found the means to move again and by allowing his body to move itself, found himself on the same bench Dreek had been sitting on earlier in the gardens. This kind of situation should be instantly reported but he needed time to think about whether he should and these gardens were normally the place for deep thought.

Dreek had been sent on missions before and every time he came back precisely when he meant to. For this mission he was a couple of days late so he had already been filled with worry. To hear that his delay was due to extra intel discovery set his heart at ease, but if this was not truly Dreek then he was now three days late and likely to never come back. He had lost a son.

There was still the possibility that it really was Dreek but under some kind of spell or having gained a new ability of some sort. After all, no one else but Dreek would now where to go in the Palace or know of the exact specifications of the mission so it had to be Dreek, which meant something had to have happened to him. The world was about to be destroyed and his son had gone missing. In both cases there was nothing that could be done to bring some kind of resolve to them, nothing that any of the dekus could do.

Above him, the skies released their cargo and filled the air with rain pouring all over the Palace. Realising his hopelessness, the Butler placed his head in his hands and began to cry.


	10. Chapter 10: Creating a Soldier

**Chapter 10: Creating a Soldier**

For nearly an hour now Link had carefully traversed the root-covered pathways and long, grassy slopes upwards. It was certainly obvious that any deku would have a much easier time getting to the temple than any human, but Link would have to stay in control and although he would never admit it, blocking out Dreek from moving was a tiresome thing to do. He needed to keep control. He had to keep control or once again feel that others control him and make him seem useless. Saving Hyrule had made him feel that way many times for a long time.

To keep control, something had to be done about Dreek. In Clock Town he was the best comrade he could have asked for. Not caring about any others who got in his way, simply pushing them aside if they threatened the mission. That was the Dreek Link liked, but since he had confessed to someone of his current condition he hadn't been the same. He needed the old Dreek back but the only question was how.

While taking the time to think of the helpful process, the Woodfall Temple had peeked over the canopy of trees and soon revealed itself to the boy and his fairy in all of its tainted glory. Whilst normally a wonderous sight to see, the swampy water and decaying trees gave the ancient architecture a desolate and dying feel to it. It was almost as if the forest had become a tomb.

_"Look at this place, Dreek. Even if you did possible have people to live for, your land is dying and so, too, shall your people with it." _Link displayed.

_No. You're wrong. Once we break the seal on the giant's spirit the curse on this land will be lifted and my people will be allowed to live._

_"But you won't. You are already dead and there is nothing that can change that. Learn to accept it."_

Link didn't know it, as he wasn't able to read Dreek's mind at the time, but the order had finally managed to get through and the process of total control was already in motion. There was no way for Dreek to be revived and it was about time he faced it. He thought he had when he spoke to the professor, but it turned out he was only deluding himself in the possibility that there may still be a chance to make something with the Princess.

Still taking the time to think everything over, the temple was waiting right in front of them ready to be explored. At a distance it looked dead, but up close it was a wonder to know if it was ever alive at all! The colour had seemingly vanished from the stone making it blend in with the rotten tree roots that had wrapped themselves all around the ancient shrine. The smooth surfaces had many fallen chunks while the rest had become sharp and brittle giving it way to crumble to pieces at any given time. Truly this place had died and this famine was continuing to spread.

Walking slowly up the long, equally as dead, stone pathway, Link allowed the inky blackness of the inner temple to swallow him in and show him the way forwards. Surprisingly the inside of the huge temple was in less disarray than the outside. Being very Deku friendly, there were large tree trunks growing through the walls and out through the ceiling. On these were torches used to help light the way further into the sacred home of an older tribe.

Exactly who built these ancient temples was something that occasionally came up in Link's mind whenever he had to enter one and how a civilisation can make such incredible buildings, then somehow decline into a state that bland castles are the most extravagant buildings to be made. What happened to them to cause a decline or perhaps what happened to the people who made these temples? Whilst it was impossible to know, it was somehow always interesting to think about it.

Admiring the structure of the temple and the fusion of nature to human design was Tatl the fairy, floating just ahead of Link as another source of light. Tatl, unlike Link, had never been in such an architectural wonder as this before so to begin with she was stuck for words to describe it. Soon realising that a need to describe it was not entirely necessary she continued to admire the well built surroundings and to lead the way onwards.

Just ahead was a large wooden door that looked remarkably similar to the one underground when Link first entered Termina. Pressing his hand to it to channel the flow of magical energy, the door magically lifted upwards much like any other Link had encountered in other temples. Only now did it occur to him that the passage from Hyrule to Termina may have been created by a similar people who made these temples. Such a thought didn't last long, however, when the remarkably large and extravagant room beyond the door filled the room of all thoughts in his mind.

One of the better words to describe it was spectacular. Having seen the size of the temple from the outside one would have to question if this room would actually fit in such a place simply by the size of it. There were a number of levels to the room all connected by sloped ledges and in the middle was a large wooden flower taking up a large majority of the room. Standing at the second highest floor, Link looked around for a preferable direction to go in while Tatl flew around to investigate on her own. Her lack of light made no real difference as the amount and size of the torches were enough to illuminate the whole room.

_If the assailant came here, then he knows where to go so getting to him won't be easy. _Dreek suddenly mentioned.

"_Are you saying you know where to go?" _Link answered

_I'm saying I know what to do in order to find the way. _Dreek answered.

"_And what must we do?"_

_There are two switches hidden in the temple as the room is used as a final defence. No doubt he is using it for cover in case we attacked. We will need to find them and activate them, and I can lead you to them. _Dreek explained.

"_You can guide me to them. For obvious reasons I don't feel I can trust you with this body just yet."_ Link replied.

Dreek didn't say anything afterwards, knowing that any more words would be shot down and ignored. Instead the two waited shortly for Tatl to return from her short scouting mission.

"Well, I saw a large door opposite us on the level below, but it looks like it's locked and won't open easily. I also saw a smaller door on the level above us which looks like we can enter so I'd say that's our best bet." Tatl reported.

_That's the way to one of the switches. We should head that way._

"Alright. We head that way." Link said.

Walking around the large room to the upwards ramp, Link soon found the way to the door Tatl had mentioned. Upon opening it, they were met with a relatively large spiral staircase going downwards. Tatl flew down to the bottom to check it out and waited for them there, which gave the two boys plenty of time to talk between themselves.

Link didn't feel like most kinds of talk, though. The only thing that interested him right now was trying to turn Dreek back into the mindless soldier that he so wanted. Exactly how to do it was unknown, but attacking the mind seemed like a good idea to start with.

"_Dreek, what do you fear?"_ Link asked.

_My fear? You did not look for yourself?_ Dreek asked back.

"_It slipped my mind."_ Link casually answered.

_My fear is failure. Constantly dreading the idea that my failed actions could lead to injury or death while successful actions could spare those people._ Dreek answered.

_"Ah, I see. A justifiable fear."_ Link commented.

Neither said anything for a moment after that. The silence bordered that of an uncomfortable one which urged both of them to break it soon. Against the natural behaviour of a soldier, Dreek was the first to snap under pressure and spoke first, but also out of curiosity.

_What do you fear?_

_"Me? Well after what I've been through I've learnt to fear only one thing. Freedom."_ Link stated.

_You fear freedom? From what I've seen, you've done nothing but try to achieve your freedom!_

_"My aim is control of my own life, not freedom."_ Link replied quickly.

_So what is it about freedom that scares you?_ Dreek slowly asked.

_"The consequences of world-wide freedom. If every man, woman and child was free to do whatever they felt like, the world would fall into utter anarchy. We need monarchies and parliaments to help keep order while spreading the delusion that their subjects are free. The bare truth of it all is that they are being controlled by those with more power than them. That is why I seek control."_

In the short time Dreek had been forced to be with Link, he had never had a reason to feel nervous or scared of something, but Link was now something to be nervous about. Despite that, his reasoning was right. A free world is a destructive world and it is a level of control that helps keep order amongst the people. How much control did he have over his life? All Dreek ever did was follow orders and do as he was told. This would be something he had to think about. Fortunately he still had about half of the staircase and however long Link wished to stay out to think.

Link, having spoken truthfully, smiled to himself knowing he had had some effect on the Deku and discovered that mind tactics were the way to go. He would leave it a while before he tried again, but try again he would do until it worked.

Another minute or so later and Link had rejoined Tatl at the bottom. Acknowledging each other but saying nothing, Link pressed on the door to open the way to a reasonably big room. It was obvious to see the switch that Dreek had mentioned of in this room, but it was also obvious to see the few traps surrounding and protecting it. Hidden amongst the stone walls and occasional creeping vine were small holes which looked just big enough to allow an arrow through them. The same holes were also in the ceiling and quite possibly in the floor too, but they could just be cracks developed from being so old.

Tatl, not knowing of the switches but guessing their purpose, scanned the room similarly to Link and soon spoke up with a light-hearted, yet serious tone.

"So we want to get to that switch, huh? Well I doubt I'm strong enough to do anything to it so it looks like your on your own. Have fun!" Tatl said before finding a safe corner to stay in.

Content with letting her go to be quiet, Link cautiously took a step forwards making sure not to be in the path of too many of the holes. He noticed that they seemed to have been perfectly round at one point but had eroded away over time and had become just mouldy holes in the walls. Not the best idea for an arrow to come out of which gave Link a little reassurance. Walking more confidently to the large switch on the other side of the room, he stopped next to it and gave the room another quick glance before he pressed down on the switch with his boot.

Oddly enough, nothing happened at first. There was no whoosh of an arrow or slow grinding of a closing wall to crush him. This seemed relatively easy, until the dripping began. The first drop of water landed on Tatl who fell to the floor and shook it off as moisture from the ground. Then more drops came from all over the ceiling and with it a repulsive smell that made Link gag very badly. It wasn't long before he realised and saw that the holes in the walls were allowing the swampy water to flood in and quickly fill the room.

Wasting no time Link immediately ran back to the door, already being slowed down by the amount of water that covered the floor. The holes in the floor that Link hoped would be draining the water were also spouting water up, helping to fill the room even faster. After what seemed like a minute Link managed to reach the door, Tatl having managed to get up quickly and follow, and opened it to retreat up the staircase. Sadly for them, this also allowed the water to drain into this area and even when the door closed behind them the water level began to creep up towards them.

"Hey, you do realise it's still coming up, right? Running might be a good idea about now!"

Despite the obviousness of Tatl's cry it somehow managed to revive Link's legs and make them run up the long spiral staircase as the water level continued to rise faster as the original room had been filled. All the while the horrid stench of the swamp water wafted up creating more gags from Link, almost ready to keel over again. Very fortunately his speed got him back up to the top with time to spare as he pressed the door open and shut before the water had a chance to reach his feet.

"Phew. Just made it. Now let's just hope that water can't get through this door." Tatl gasped, slightly relieved at their current safety.

Both waited for the water on the other side to rise and possibly leak around the edge of the door but after waiting for some time such a thing never occurred. It seemed that they had escaped death for now but as Tatl had said, only just. Once the two adventurers realised this as well, they began to walk down to find any other doors that could lead to the other switch.

_Why didn't you use me to get out? I could have done it so much easily than you could._ Dreek commented.

"_I didn't need you. I got out fine by myself and that proves it."_ Link plainly answered.

_Come now. I heard you gagging all those times. I could practically feel your nausea! You would go so far as to risk your life just to retain your human form?_

"_If it was the other way around, would you have let me take control if it was easier?"_

Dreek began, but stopped when he realised the answer wasn't that straight-forward. If he had control of his body once more, would he have let Link take that control away from him? Most other, nicer people would have trusted him with the control but someone more of a realist would see that it may not be worth the risk.

…_No_

"_Exactly. Now where do we go for the next switch?"_ Link asked surprisingly quickly.

_The bottom floor. We need to do something else beforehand._

---

"Explain this to me again." The Deku King ordered.

In the time it had taken Link and Tatl to get to the temple and past their first ordeal, the Butler had finally managed to gather himself and report what he had seen. A rarely seen fairy come out of his son's hat then the magical transformation from a deku to a human.

"So you mean to tell me that one of our chief commanders is not who we think he is?!" The King asked loudly.

"Well, sire, it could be that Dreek managed to obtain this ability on his own." The Butler replied.

"Preposterous! As much as we yearn for it, we dekus are unable to use magic of any kind! This Dreek must be a fake and most likely plotting against me. Why else would he know of our location and come with such secret knowledge?"

"Um, sire, aren't you jumping to-"

"Soldier! Send word to General Berrin that I want his most elite team to surround the Palace walls and capture anyone on sight!"

"Yes sir!"

As ordered, the soldier ran down the now-open hallway to send the message to the general. The King had a smug look in his eyes as if he knew he was about to win. The butler simply sighed at the rashness of his King.

"General Berrin and his squad has never lost a fight, even without his command. This imposter stands no chance of getting back in."

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­

The trek to the bottom floor took a little while, but eventually the open door was found right in the corner. Upon opening it, Link froze at the sight of a small ledge followed by a seemingly endless gorge with another ledge and a door on the other side.

"Well, how do you propose to get across this Mr. Hero?" Tatl asked sarcastically.

_I can get you across. Wear me, jump in that flower and I can glide across._ Dreek answered.

Link looked to his side to see the flower Dreek had mentioned. It was a very big flower which surprised Link as to why he missed it. It looked a lot like the one they had slept in back at the Palace, except it was puffing out more pollen and the hole in the middle seemed a little tighter. Looking at it, then thinking about it for a moment he eventually turned to the fairy.

"Tatl, go fly around and see if there's a loose vine or something that I can use to swing across." Link requested.

Obediently, she nodded and scouted the roof to find anything that matched Link's requirements. There were a number of vines creeping over the roof, but they were either tuck too far in or it all came out in one tug. After a few minutes she gave in, finding nothing that Link could use.

"Sorry, I got nothing. Looks like we're stuck." Tatl pointed out.

Desperately trying to think of an alternative, the truth of the matter managed to become obvious as the only course of action to get across. Very reluctantly, Link reached back into his pack and pulled out the deku mask. Enduring the short, but explicit, pain the transformation gave, Dreek the deku now stood before them all.

"_It's about time. Now watch the skills of one of the flying dekus! _Tatl, go wait for me on the other side. I'll be there in a minute." Dreek simultaneously said.

Marching over to the flower Dreek elegantly stepped into it, allowing the inner bud to wrap around the small deku body with no room for him to move. Taking a firm hold of two strong stalks, Dreek waited for the build-up of pollen below him to build making the pressure rise with it. Teasing Link slightly by saying a countdown, on the surprising count of 0, the pressure grew too great and spat them out at a great speed along with the large-leafed stalks Dreek had grabbed a hold of.

Using them in a similar fashion to wings, Dreek allowed the thrust of their launch and his tilted body weight to take them to the other side of the gorge with plenty of space to spare. Landing gently on his feet, Dreek let go of the stalks which dropped to the floor and turned to the amazed fairy to his side.

"I always love doing that." Dreek said happily.

Still amazed at the incredible feat, and glad to hear a happy tone in Dreek's voice, Tatl silently followed behind the deku into the short corridor behind the door. She just couldn't bare to see other people as miserable or sad as she was right now. Oh sure she managed to hide it well, but she still always felt bad for leaving her brother with that evil mask with no one to help him.

But, for some reason, seeing the smile on Dreek's face made her smile as well. Almost as if it was telling her that everything is going to be alright. Sadly, though, once they were to cross through this corridor, Link would have reason to speak with Dreek again and that happiness would soon be gone.

On the other side of the door was a small room branching off to a much larger room behind it. The large room had quite a bit of height to it and had a recently developed ring in the centre with room around the sides for spectators. The reason for this became obvious with the small room as it had a number of racks all full of specially designed weapons made for deku soldiers.

Walking slowly to one of the racks, Dreek took a long, dual-ended spear off the wall and spent a moment simply admiring the craftsmanship and how well it fit his grip.

_An armoury? Why would there be an armoury in an ancient temple?_ Link asked.

"_My people decided to convert this temple into a final form of defence if we were to be driven from our homes. We wished to prepare for every scenario, even the loss of our weapons so spares were made and stored here just in case."_ Dreek explained.

The amount of weapons here was something to be admired, but the range of different weapons was the thing to be amazed. There were spears, single and dual ended, smaller spears in pairs, short swords and daggers, bows and quivers, crossbows and even a few clubs. Dreek's compartment contained only the spear and a dagger but they in themselves were impressive for their, obviously, custom built size.

"So, good with a spear, huh?" Tatl inquisitively asked.

"Most dekus are. The swords and clubs are only given to those who seem best fitted with them. I could have either the spear or the bow so I chose the spear." Dreek mentioned.

"Close combat over long range. Not the choice I would have made, but I'm just a fairy and I'd never have a need for weapons."

"Hmm. Want a demonstration?"

"Alright."

_Seeing your skills would be beneficial._

Ignoring Link, Dreek moved into the sparring room to get some extra space to practice in. What wasn't obvious at first, but became easier to see as you entered, was that there was another large flower in the middle of the ring. Stepping into a stance so as to begin, Dreek held the staff across his body so that a direct blow would be difficult to get. Before he could begin his practice, though, there was a sound that was obvious to all in the room.

"What was that?" Tatl asked immediately.

Giving no answer, Dreek stood silent and waited to see if he could hear the sound again. A few seconds later and he did. In an instant, he had snatched Tatl from the air, thrown her under his hat and dived down into the flower so as to be out of sight. Tatl's angry muffling stopped instantly when the door from the other room opened.

The being that walked through the door, unseen by Dreek, was a creature known as a Lizalfos. Large reptilian creatures with a human-like stature to its frame. A long scaly tale protruded from it's back as the only part of his body not covered in some kind of armour. The rest of his body was encased by a dark silver coat of metal that reflected the light, but in an oddly murky way. In it's hands were a pair of long, sleek swords that seemed to be made to work together instead of individual weapons.

The Lizalfos slowly patrolled the room looking for places a human could use to hide. The flower was deemed irrelevant in its search so all Dreek had to do was wait for it to leave, but the pollen amassing beneath him gathered pressure and he knew that it wouldn't be too long before he would be spat out and forced into a fight. It was just a matter of how he could use it to his advantage.

Grabbing a hold of his spear, Dreek waited until he could hear the close footsteps of the Lizalfos, indicating he was right next to them, before leaping out to surprise the Lizalfos with a large scratch across its breastplate. Confused and staggering from the sudden blow, the Lizalfos stepped backwards to regain his footing and use his weapons to guard any additional aerial blow that came with the large leap from the ground.

Tatl had also been thrown out of the flower with Dreek and had flown back to give herself some space and protection. Staring at the ragged monster and the neat armour she wondered how the two managed to fit together, but the most pressing matter on her mind was to simply scream.

"Gaaah! What is that thing?!"

Both combatants were, quite surprisingly, just standing there staring at each other. While most others who had started with a surprise attack would continue to beat them down, Dreek allowed the Lizalfos to stand his ground and give him the chance to fight back. What came next was not what he would expect of a monster such as this.

"You are a deku of the Woodfall realm. My master, the keeper of this temple, advises you to turn back now or your princess will be killed." The Lizalfos stated in a raspy voice.

"Who is your master?" Dreek asked, ignoring the threat.

"You will only find out if you continue, but to do so you must defeat me."

"Fine."

Raising his spear to show his acceptance of the challenge, the Lizalfos raised his twin swords in response ready to strike or guard at a moment's notice. Fortunately for Dreek, a strike to the armour took less than a moment due to his speed and another scratch emerged near the first one. Batting the spear away with one sword the Lizalfos continued to step forward aiming to strike the head with the second sword and the added momentum of his steps. The light deku managed to jump back in time to avoid the jab and to push the sword down with his spear, protecting him from another step and jab movement.

The dance of battle waged on with both gaining ground and losing ground. Dreek had managed to carve a few more scratches thanks to his light and nimble feet which also helped him dodge any fatal ending blows. The battle took a turn for the worst, though, when a jab to the helm of the Lizalfos angered him to the point of fury. Opening his mouth wide he waved his head above him releasing an inferno of flames to the roof of the room.

Taking the risk of trying to wound him, Dreek leaped towards the Lizalfos with any chink in the armour as his target. Finding one in the arm, Dreek's spear swung down and across it creating the desired wound and the undesired spurt of dark maroon blood. Roaring in pain, the Lizalfos turned to look at the deku and let loose a torrent of fire blasts in the hopes of burning it to a crisp. Dreek's speed meant he was able to dodge most of the fireballs, but it still didn't stop him from feeling the intense heat as it passed by which certainly raised some worry.

Getting irritated at constantly missing, the Lizalfos took a deep breath and let loose a massive orb of flames at the deku giving him no room to jump away. By instinct and intuition, Dreek spun his spear around as if it were a staff in an attempt to blow it away, or at least lessen the flames, and spare himself from a dangerous blow. Despite his valiant attempt, however, the fireball still hit its target at a power high enough to send Dreek on the floor and across the room to the edge of the ring. Not moving immediately after, the Lizalfos closed in on his opponent while showing him mercy.

"I will give you one more chance. Leave now or you and your princess dies." The Lizalfos reminded.

"I will not leave without her." Dreek weakly stated.

Wasting no time on extra talk, the Lizalfos drove both of his swords into Dreek's sides creating a loud screech of pain as what appeared to be sap leaked out. As the Lizalfos prepared for another fireball with the intent of finishing the duel then, Dreek found the extra strength to grab his spear and swing it around so that it hit the side of the Lizalfos' armour and sent the fireball towards the wall. Clearly angered, the Lizalfos attempted another slice to make him weary enough to dodge no more attacks, but to his surprise Dreek had managed to stand up with his weapon in hand, ready to fight.

_Your fighting style is impressive, but now I must intervene and end this battle._

Accepting the compliment and the obvious sense to relieve a weary warrior by replacing him with a stronger one, Dreek submitted to the control of the Hylian to which he instantly sheathed the spear into a holder on his back. Before the Lizalfos had the chance to ask if he was giving up, Link had reached for the deku face and had taken off the mask in order to revert to his human self.

"You are the human?" The Lizalfos asked in obvious surprise.

Link simply smiled while unsheathing his sword from the scabbard on his back.

"Hi."

Throwing the sword with such precision and power, Link's blade met the Lizalfos' unguarded neck with no resistance or thought to move as it now dropped to the floor, dead. Lazily walking over to the body of his newest victim, Link pulled his sword out of the Lizalfos' neck, wiped the blood off with the central flower and returned it to his scabbard.

Tatl had flown out of the corner she had hid in to hover over Link's shoulder and look at the fresh corpse made by his hand. Even if he couldn't see it, Link could feel her body shaking in the way anyone new to the idea of death would when witness to a duel. Tatl remained tough, however, and did what she could to hide the shaking of her voice.

"That was a bit…harsh." Tatl said, still a little shocked.

"I did what I could to save our lives. No matter what, one being was going to die in this room and it happened to be him." Link reasoned.

"Well, yeah, but still." Tatl replied, pointing out the large stream of blood coming out of the Lizalfos' neck.

"Tell me, how often have you been in a fight?" Link asked.

"Uhh, a few times with Tael, but that was only playful fighting."

"And of all those times when you could have won, but didn't, why do you think you showed him mercy?" Link asked, sounding slightly more aggressive.

"That's easy, because he's my brother. I love him and I would never want anything bad to happen to him."

"Or in a single word, compassion. Compassion is what stays the hand and prevents it from committing acts the self deems to be wrong. The reason why Dreek nearly lost and why I won so quickly is that he still feels compassion whilst I do not."

"Yes, I've noticed." Tatl dryly stated.

The conversation seemed to end there with points made to everyone so why Dreek felt a need to speak seemed unnecessary. He didn't do it immediately but instead waited a moment to think over his words before saying them in the hopes of making it go his way.

_Tatl's right. That was a bit harsh._ Dreek finally said.

"_You wish for me to cushion the blow next time?"_

_I would like it better if you kept that sort of thing just between you and me. My problems are not excuse enough to bring others into it._

"_Perhaps you're right. I still stand by my claim to be true, though."_ Link responded.

The two walked out of the arena where Link stopped for a moment at the rack of weapons. Eyeing a well-made bow belonging to a General Berrin, Link took it off to give it a feel then proceeded to take the quiver with it and place it on his back. Link always preferred close combat with his sword and whatever else he could find, but he was also skilled with a bow to some extent and knew when it had its uses.

Leaving the room Link freely put the deku mask back on knowing he would have to do so in order to get back across the pit. Dreek, or even Tatl, may have made a comment on how he did not even question the thought of being a deku again but after that battle and conversations, neither felt like raising the minor point. For some, there were larger points to be raised.

"_Why do you speak of my compassion as a bad thing?"_ Dreek asked.

_When we first met you had no compassion for others and I liked you that way._ Link answered.

"_No, there's more to it than that. Why do you consider my actions to be incorrect?"_

Link thought for a moment on the answer he would eventually give. He already knew it the instant the question was asked but the idea of making him wait occurred to him so Link delayed telling Dreek until he felt it was time.

_Compassion has more than one meaning. It can also be the strong feelings of affection one has towards another. _Link paused. _You still love her, don't you?_

A cold silence fell upon the group as the realisation came to him. By this point the gorge had been crossed and they were back in the large central room with the giant wooden flower in the middle. In the hopes of trying to distract himself from these thoughts, Dreek asked Tatl to fly up a few floors and look for a door with a particular marking on it.

"_I cannot deny it. But this time, when next I see her, I shall tell her this."_ Dreek said, attempting to sound brave.

_To what point and purpose? I remind you again of the fact that you are dead! _Link replied loudly.

"_But…how can I be dead? I breath, I see, I move, I even feel pain! I must be alive!" _Dreek shouted in a reassured excitement.

_Is it really living if your existence is a false one?_

"_It's not false. I exist, I am alive! I can do what I want!" _Dreek shouted again, throwing his arms up as a sign of his freedom. Before getting the chance to lower them again, Dreek quickly discovered that he could no longer move them himself.

_It is false. You no longer have full control of yourself and you only live by my will. Rest assured that there is no point for as soon as we are done here, I will have no further use for you._

The conversation ended there with Tatl soon coming down after saying something about a door with strange markings half way up and to their left. Link followed her up there with Dreek forcibly hiding in the shadows of his own body. He had lost control and was slowly giving up on all hope. He had no future, so he had nothing to be joyful of, he had now lost everything so there was nothing left to be sad of and the lack of hope also seemed to create a lack of anger making rage towards Link impossible.

What was the point of fighting? Was it worth trying to resist against Link and regain his freedom? Was Link truly right when he said freedom is nothing more than self-control? Just thinking of these and the many more questions through his mind was almost enough to resign himself to the gutters, become the soldier-boy Link so desperately wanted but one thing still drove him to keep himself. His love for the princess.

---

Floating down from the rainy skies, Kotake returned from the mushroom run in the forest while Koume stayed back in the shop to rest and keep an eye on it. Opening the door from a distance with her magic, Kotake glided right in and closed the door behind her to prevent more rain from covering her.

"I may be the ice witch but I still hate rain." Kotake stated, shaking her robes dry of the water.

"A good stash I see?" Koume said, eyeing the full bag of mushrooms attached to the broom.

"Yes." Kotake replied, taking the bag off and placing her broom against the wall. "I went further in so the ones closer had more time to ripen."

"And the dekus?"

Kotake sighed heavily before finding a towel and a comfy chair to sit and dry herself in before starting.

"They're all in a panic. It seems they've finally figured out that little deku boy is Link and now they've set up the guard to try and capture him if he comes back."

"And yet how easy would it be for him to get back in?" Koume sighed. "That boy is wasting his talents being good. I can easily imagine him as a dark lord. A shame he sealed Ganondorf away."

"A horrid shame."

Both witches sighed, thinking of all the chaos they once created. The son they raised to conquer the world and their confusing base of headquarters in the desert that Link got through with little trouble. Through all this they did not notice the knocking on the door, but when it became louder it became apparent they had a visitor.

Hobbling over to the door, Kotake answered it to see a spindly little skull kid wearing a strange mask, obvious malice in his eyes.

---

One level below the locked door was the well decorated entrance to the final switch and the group who intended to press it. Having established that this was the only other door in the room it was certain that this was the way to go and that after this it was straight to this beast holding the princess and the giant hostage.

While still in the deku form, Link remained in control while Dreek lay still in the dark recesses of his mind allowing despair to consume him.

Upon opening the door, a delightfully long corridor came into view with a box shape stretching down for some distance. Tatl glided down to see if there were any obvious traps, as was her role now, and noticed holes similar to that of the ones in the first switch room.

"Uhh, Link? Look to the walls." Tatl suggested.

Link did look to see the same holes that Tatl was seeing, already slightly filled with dread.

"More holes. More water?"

"No. These ones are loaded."

Arrows. Great. This would mean they were most likely activated by pressure tiles which also meant that no step was a safe step until he took the next one. Figuring he would be walking down up to the point of running to avoid arrows, Link decided to have one last go at Dreek before their confrontation with this guardian monster.

_Do you believe in a Divine Grace, Dreek?_ Link asked. It took a moment for Dreek to realise he was being spoken to, but answered quickly when he heard the question.

"_No."_ Dreek simply answered.

_Why not?_

"_Because when I look at the world, there is so much pain and suffering in the hearts of so many. If there was a God, why do they allow this suffering?"_

_Perhaps it is meant to be? _Link suggested.

"_Any God who finds this amount of pain to be necessary isn't worth believing in. Why? Do you believe it is?"_

_I don't need to believe in anything. I know the answer to be yes._

"_And what gives you that certainty?"_

Link paused for a moment both to think and to check his surroundings quickly. He didn't want to step on something by accident whilst he spoke as the idea of being impaled by an arrow through his head didn't appeal to him.

_Our worlds are in a constant form of balance. When one force is created, so is another to give it balance. When light was created, shadow was also formed as a result so when happiness and joy was made, so was pain and suffering._

_You say it is cruel for a God to allow this pain, yet without it there would be no such thing as joy and taking that away would be the cruel thing. The bottom line is, sometimes you have to lose something in order to gain something._ Link finished.

With Dreek's question answered, and more, Link got back to focusing on the hallway and eventually getting out of this place. It's not that he didn't like this place, more the fact that the sooner he could finish this stupid quest the sooner he could be free.

Dreek was still thinking over Link's final words. Lose something to gain something. Currently Dreek had lost pretty much everything, so what had he gained? His feelings for the Princess? He didn't even know if she would return those feelings so right now they may be useless, meaning he would have lost everything. Perhaps his total loss was the balance to someone else gaining everything. If so then it didn't make him feel any better about it. Maybe it was best to fall back into the slump of not caring anymore. To just give up.

Link wasn't paying attention to this as the hall had finally come to an end. Instead of the switch there was a door leading to another room. Not hesitating to open this door, Link walked right through to see nothing more than an empty room with the switch stuck to the ceiling. It was smaller than the previous switch, but still too big for Tatl to push and too high for deku or Hylian to jump and touch.

Taking a moment to think and study the whole room, Tatl looked around for any traps in here just in case. She gave up quickly when it became apparent it was just an ordinary room and sat down on a brick jutting out of the wall slightly.

Link saw this and noticed the other bricks jutting out as well, realising he could use them. Telling Tatl to move out of the way, Link had a go at jumping up at the wall and jumping off again to try and reach the switch. At first, he missed by only a little bit but after practicing a few more times and learning how to jump off two walls in the corner he managed to touch it.

Eventually he managed to push it all the way down and land right next to the door, which was a good thing seeing as the middle of the room collapsed at the pressing of the switch revealing an unfriendly drop beneath it.

"Whoa. That…was close."

_Did you know of this?_ Link angrily asked Dreek. When he received no answer, he gave up and turned to leave back where he came, knowing he was almost done here.

Walking back down the long hall was unfortunately not the same experience as it was on the way up. Two steps in the whistling of an arrow narrowly past over the deku boy's head while, in an attempt to dodge another that followed behind it, ducked down to see the floor behind him give way and fall.

Going back would be a race against his death in two forms, both of which didn't seem likely to avoid as a short and light deku. Ripping off the mask and quickly throwing it in his invisible pack, Link began charging down with his head lowered so that he may avoid the arrows being shot at him. Tatl caught up quickly and flew by his side to see if he was ok, to which she was shouted an order at.

"Tatl, go down to the end and open that door. All you need to do is channel your energy through it. Go, NOW!"

Not bothering to question him, Tatl did as she was told and darted down the hall towards the door at the other end, triggering a few arrows on the way. For Link the run was much harder as with every step the floor buckled under the pressure and fell into the chasm beneath it. This did no good for his grip and on a number of times nearly caused him to trip and fall.

Seeing the end in sight and also noting Tatl had made it and had the door open for him to run through, Link added what else he could into a final dash for the end praying that he wouldn't make a mistake and fall.

What Tatl hadn't discovered on one of the arrows near the exit was that it was arched in such a way that it would hit the side of the hole on it's way out which, in turn, would deflect it and send it shooting down instead of straight. Undiscovered, that is, until Link ran past it and felt it lodge itself in his leg.

Silently screaming in pain, Link stumbled forwards and fell however fortunately out the hall just as the last of the floor gave way.

"Link, are you-" Tatl began, before noticing the arrow piercing Link's leg. "Oh my god! You got hit! Here, let me help you."

"No! I'll be fine. I just…can't move on it for a while." Link replied quickly, then sighed in defeat. "Dreek, you take over."

Donning the mask one last time in the temple the wound and arrow vanished from his leg as it was replaced by the wooden leg of Dreek, along with the rest of his body. Soon realising that Link had actually given him full control instead of watching over him, Dreek wasted no time in moving up a floor to the now unlocked door leading to the unknown assailant and his captives. He was still nearly ready to give up on everything, but he still wanted to know if the princess was alright, or at least alive.

"Dreek, is that you this time or Link?" Tatl cautiously asked.

"It's me, Tatl." Dreek replied.

"Oh, phew." Tatl sighed with relief, which Link took immediate note of.

"This is it. We're going in to be one step closer to saving this land." Dreek stated.

"No pressure there then, huh." Tatl giggled.

Dreek did what he could to smile at the fairy, but he was too drained to attempt such a feat.

"When we get in, I'd like you to try and find the princess and keep her calm about the situation. And don't tell her about my current condition. It would only raise issues." Dreek requested.

"Gotcha. So, we ready to tackle this thing or what?"

Again Tatl smiled and again Dreek failed to return it. All he did for now was concentrate on the door in front of him and the conflict that would occur once they had crossed to the other side. Withdrawing his spear, Dreek readied himself to fight whoever this assailant was and to see the princess again which would help him understand if his life had a meaning or not.


	11. Chapter 11: Odolwa

**Chapter 11: Odolwa**

Standing behind the large wooden door was, as Dreek called him, Odolwa. All that Link took notice of was that he was bigger than he would have thought he would be, standing at twice the height of the average adult human.

By looks, Odolwa would be what some may call an Amazon warrior. He wore nothing but a brown loincloth but the rest of his body was covered in strange paint formations and circles. He also seemed to be wearing a mask that looked like his actual face, moving in the way that a face did. It had brightly coloured feathers sprouting out of the top that gave him a ceremonial look to him. He held a kite-shaped shield in one hand and a long sword in the other, held behind his back.

The sound of the door opening seemed to have gotten his attention as he now turned to get a look at who had entered his lair. He only saw the deku as Tatl had immediately flew off to look for the princess. She eventually found her in the corner cowering away in fear behind strong vines that acted like bars.

Tatl darted straight down there once she was sure it was her and was able to get a better look at her. Despite the fact she had been in here for a few days now, she was still well dressed and not looking too uncomfortable. She was quite small for a princess, but still elegant as she wore a beautiful dress covering most of her body. Her long hair, which was a long chain of woven leaves, fell behind her to the point where it nearly trailed along the ground yet even this showed signs of elegance and hadn't been worn down by stress or discomfort.

Somehow feeling that Odolwa was not looking at her anymore, the princess turned around to see what might be going on and quickly noticed the glowing fairy coming towards her. Her immediate reaction was to cower away again, thinking this was another servant of Odolwa come to torture her but the sight of Tatl slowing down to not seem menacing calmed her and allowed her to be greeted.

"Princess? Oh I'm so glad you're safe." Tatl said, sighing with relief.

"I don't mean to sound rude, but who are you?" The princess asked.

"Oh, forgive me. My name is Tatl. I'm here with Commander Dreek who has-"

"Dreek is here? Where?" The princess asked, shock overcoming her.

"Over there, by the main door. He's come to rescue you." Tatl explained.

The princess almost flinched at hearing what Tatl had said. She wasn't prepared to hear that it was Dreek who had come to save her. She expected a small crew of specialists, or even her father with a squad of his own, but not Dreek on his own.

"No. He shouldn't have come." She muttered to herself. "Dreek! Get out of here! I am ordering you to leave!"

Dreek wasn't listening. He was too busy focusing on the large Amazon warrior looming over him. Having taken out his own spear to combat the much larger sword, both combatants knew what was to come and now it was simply a matter of when it was going to occur.

While Link would have much preferred to fight this battle himself, and probably do much better than the deku as well, his most recent injury would hold him back so he had no choice but to commandeer this body and fight in this form.

_Allow me._ Link suggested simply.

The suggestion quickly became hollow as when he tried to move forwards to begin, he found that the body was not moving and that he did not have control.

"This is my fight. I will not permit you to take it from me."

Defiantly walking to meet his foe, Link was forced to fall back and watch the seemingly brave soldier go to battle. This should have made Link worried as bravery would show Dreek was standing up to all things, including Link, but instead it brought happiness to Link's face. It had worked. He had the soldier he wanted back, all he needed to do now was put him under his control.

Odolwa had obviously accepted the challenge as he now held his sword and shield out in front to ready himself for battle. He mad no other movements, though, until Dreek advanced faster and leapt up to stab him in the gut. It came as a surprise to all when Odolwa seemed to suddenly vanish from sight and let Dreek continue through the air and land further than he anticipated.

Before anyone had the time to comment on this, Odolwa reappeared behind where Dreek landed and attempted to slice him in two with his large sword, but was denied this pleasure as Dreek had somehow managed to dodge the strike.

_Magic?_ Link briefly asked

"No. Incredible speed."

As if knowing what was being said, Odolwa gave a demonstration of his speed by covering the whole distance of the large room as a blur in less than a second. Running back to give another strike, Dreek prepared himself and leapt into the blow with his spear, locking their weapons together.

Taking the moment, Dreek swung with the other side of his spear to slash the face but failed in this as he was thrown back by the shield Odolwa held on his other arm. It then took his quick reactions to dodge another sword swing as he landed which, in turn, gave him the successful chance of stabbing one of Odolwa's legs.

Leaping back to avoid the random stamping of Odolwa, Dreek did what he could to look around quickly and find anything that could help him turn the battle to his advantage. Nothing showed itself until he looked behind him to see another flower used for flight and also for cover. He would use that later.

_You are too weak._ Link suddenly stated_. You don't have the strength to take this creature down by yourself. I need my body back. _

_"No! This is my battle."_

Why? Why is this your battle?

Odolwa had now regained his footing, although lost his speed from the wound inflicted upon his leg, and began again at the attempts of slicing the deku in pieces. Only just realising this in time, Dreek continued his art of avoiding the attacks and doing what he could to try and get in any kind of opening. Failing to find one, he settled for another stab at the leg to give him some time to back off.

_"It's my battle because I want it."_ Dreek answered

_No, you want her._ Link corrected, looking at the trapped princess in the corner. _Victory here will not win you her heart, and if it does you do not have the lifespan to enjoy it._

_"Shut up!"_

_You two are not meant to be anymore. Give it up and live what little life you have left._

Not having time to respond, Dreek fell back into the pattern of pushing forwards and being pushed back doing little damage while avoiding most received. His strength alone was not enough to win the battle, but his technique and speed made up for it by creating small openings to parry and strike against the torso. The only thing that kept getting in the way was Odolwa's shield which always seemed to manage to push Dreek away before the blow hit.

The princess remained behind her cage, hey eyes fixed on the battle in front of her unable to look away. This was the Dreek she had pushed away? He was so different now, or was he? For some reason it was difficult to tell.

Before he had followed her around everywhere. In school going from class to class, making sure he was there to guard her on ceremonial occasions, even following her to the gardens when she had tried to escape. Now he had followed her here, but she was not so sure that it was for the same reasons.

That being the case, why had he come in? No one knew that Odolwa was in here so he could have had no part in making the decision. Wait, this fairy had come with him. Why did he have a fairy anyway? It didn't matter right now, but this fairy might know why Dreek was here so she gave it a shot.

"Excuse me, Tatl?" The princess asked.

"Hm?"

"Why did you and Dreek come here?"

Tatl looked surprised at the question partly because it felt obvious, but also to give her time to decide if it was worth explaining the reason they were searching for the giant as well. She decided she would, but only if asked specifically.

"Is it not obvious? We came here to ensure your safety." Tatl answered.

"There is no other reason?" The princess curiously asked.

"Well, no. I guess not. Does this not concern you?"

"On the contrary." She said, sighing. "In fact I am quite relieved to hear it."

Receiving no reply after, she returned her attention to watch the battle with a weight lifted from her heart. Tatl just stared at her, trying to figure her out. Her manners showed her not to be a spoiled princess but her relief for those words made Tatl think twice about her.

"He told me about the two of you." Tatl said finally.

"Oh." The princess said, sinking her head at the comment. She had hoped he hadn't mentioned it at all.

"Do you not see it?" Tatl asked, fluttering next to the princess where both looked on at the continuing back and forth battle of the two adversaries. The princess did make an effort to see what Tatl was trying to show, but sadly could not.

"I see something, but I cannot tell what it is." She hesitantly replied.

Tatl sighed. "He still loves you."

"He does? Oh I had hoped this wouldn't have to come up again."

"But why? I have heard a story from him, but I still don't understand why you did what you did."

The princess turned to ignore the battle now in order to explain the complicated reason to this fairy.

"I am Princess Felena the third." She began. "And that means that some day I will have to rule over my people. I will need someone at my side to help me produce an heir and also to be strong and protect my people. To that extent, Dreek is the kind of soldier that may be suitable."

"So why did you push him away?"

"He was strong, but only because I told him to be. When he became a skilled soldier, he still sought my approval. He did nothing to try and win me over, only listened to what I had to say and then did it. Following orders is the role of a soldier, not a King."

"But, he loved you." Tatl started, trying to fully grasp the situation. "Could you have not given him a chance and worked on a compromise?"

"It would have failed. He wanted me, I did not want him. There is no compromise. I felt it for the best to order him to forget those feelings and continue his life how he saw fit." Princess Felena finished

Tatl silently agreed to finish it there as well. She now knew the reason for Dreek's heartbreak and couldn't help but feel it was wrong. She felt it was something that was worth trying but also felt that it was not her place to say this now that it was in the past so she remained quiet.

She was now more concerned with Dreek's current well-being as he said he would confess his feelings to her and now she knew that it would only end in more heartache. On top of that, Link was also inside the body and most likely not making life any easier on Dreek. All Tatl could do now was hope he was pulling through.

Surprisingly, Link was hoping for the same thing, but in a more physical sense than a mental sense. Odolwa would be a strong and difficult foe for Link, but no doubt he would emerge the victor after some time. Now he was fighting with a double handicap in that he was in a weaker form and that he wasn't the one fighting.

Both sides of the battle had slowed down slightly due to the extent of the battle and the toll it was paying on their endurance, but Dreek's reason is that Link was giving him a hard time in focusing on the battle and keeping Link at bay.

He didn't consciously know it but Link was affecting him in a way that he would never want to be affected, having put himself through it once before. Link was manually shutting Dreek down through the form of consistent questions that some might argue had no answers. Who are you, what is your purpose, why do you fight. These were a few of the questions Link felt necessary to ask and being able to see into his mind he could tell they were having some kind of an effect.

Sadly the same could be said to his battle to which was not going well. Odolwa seemed to have picked up a bit of speed again having learned to endure the pain in his leg which made things difficult for the deku who had to do all he could just to try and strike and dodge in time.

"Why can't I kill you?!" Dreek shouted, frustrated.

Attempting another complicated chain of moves, Dreek was once again denied the opportunity of a successful hit as each of his attacks was blocked and pushed away.

_Perhaps it is because you allow yourself to be distracted by too many things._ Link voiced.

_"Perhaps I could do better if you just left me alone!"_ Dreek yelled back

_Oh, but don't you see? You'll never be rid of me. No matter what you try I will always be bound to you in this way and nothing can change that._ Link creepily smiled

_"Then just leave me alone for this one battle. Leave me be and I can get through this."_

_No you won't. I remain silent and that gives you the chance to think about her again and what you want to say or not say. That princess of yours is as big a distraction to you as I am so until you can learn to deal with me, you will not be able to deal with her._

_"So what am I supposed to do? Block everything out?!"_

_If you can, then you will have found the only way to find my co-operation. Just block it out. Let everything go._

Let everything go. The few seconds of falling back from an attack seemed like a lifetime with this sudden revelation. There could be nothing with the princess. He would only grieve his father if he saw him. His life had no more worth. It was best if he simply let everything go.

The change was instant and the effect was visible. Any form of emotion had vanished leaving him with a dull expression on his face while following his basic instincts. His attacks became as emotionless as he was by being precise and powerful with every blow. Dreek had become the mindless soldier he had once let himself be, and Link was loving it.

It was still not possible to take control for himself and make it his fight, but it didn't matter as Dreek was so much more of a fighter now Link actually preferred watching the fight instead of fighting himself. Dreek was cold and malicious, uncaring of any other factor besides the one his opponent made. Link finally had his soldier.

So, why wasn't he as satisfied as he thought he might be? Why had that sliver of doubt only now entered his mind and made him think this may not have been a good idea? Perhaps he finally realised that manipulating others to his whim was morally wrong. Perhaps Dreek had become so cold and malicious that it scared him. Perhaps it was both.

Seeing Dreek this way, devoid of all emotions seemed to install fear into Link which created more fear when realised. This is what he would have wanted for himself, to be devoid of all feeling so as to avoid the pain of losing anyone else he cared for. Now he was seeing what he would have been had he given up all hope. It really scared him.

And Dreek continued to fight on in the cold manner he had adopted. The force he added to his blows meant he was being pushed back less and at rare times even managed to push Odolwa back a little. He had again stabbed at Odolwa's legs slowing him back down to a more reasonable speed and because of his newfound precision, Dreek even managed to make a cut across the uncovered stomach of Odolwa. Dreek was doing things he could never normally have done which is what Link wanted, but without the side-effects.

Dreek, can you hear me? Can you understand what you have become?

The cry was in vain as Dreek did not respond. He only concentrated on fighting Odolwa having let everything else go. Link had completely lost control. He was now the one stuck in the body with no way out.

This is where his selfishness had got him. Trapped in the form he had been cursed into with no control over anything. He lost. All he could do now was remain in his new prison and let the battle unfold in front of him.

What a battle it was, though. Odolwa looked to be in serious trouble and took the chance to retreat back enough to protect himself from Dreek's barrage of attacks. Dreek had still suffered no major injuries so far but the fatigue that was slowing him down seemed to have vanished as his newfound strength diligently pushed him on and on as if there were no limit.

Tatl and Princess Felena were watching the battle with mixed emotions to the sudden change in Dreek's fighting style. Felena was surprised by the change while Tatl was nearly as scared of it as Link was, although she hid it well under her glow.

"Wow. I've never seen Dreek fight like this before." Princess Felena commented.

"Neither have I." Tatl replied, failing to cover the fear in her voice. The princess picked up on this and turned her attention to the fairy.

"You sound scared. This change brings you fear?" Princess Felena asked.

"I don't know. I guess it's just that, since shortly after we first met, Dreek has always been unsure of himself and constantly thinking, but now he seems to have made up his mind and I'm concerned if this decision is a good one."

"You seem concerned about a lot of things. Dreek, your brother, but not yourself. Are you always this noble?"

"I wouldn't go so far as to say noble, but I guess I am like that. So long as everyone I care about is fine, what happens to me is irrelevant."

"That kind of thinking is likely to get you into worse trouble than you might want."

"Maybe." Tatl replied, staring out at Dreek who continued to battle ruthlessly. "But I'll keep doing it anyway."

Inspired by her own words, Tatl flew out of the cage and towards her little deku in the hopes of finding out he was still ok and that Link hadn't taken control again. After a few attempts of dodging and weaving through the multitude of attacks, she finally managed to get close enough to talk to Dreek without being in immediate danger.

"Dreek, are you alright? What's happened to you?" Tatl asked desperately.

"I must defeat Odolwa. I must help save the world." Dreek eerily answered.

"Dreek? Dreek! Link, what have you done to him?!"

Link wanted to cry out for help, maybe even to say he was sorry but he could not get control so his words could not be heard. Instead they echoed on forever in the vast space of Dreek's subconscious.

_I'm trapped._ Link said to himself_. Trapped in an eternal realm never to escape because of my own actions. Is this another prank from the Goddesses? They feel I have not had enough torment? Or do I deserve this?_

Link continued to think in the nonexistent plane of being inside his mind, confused as to what he should be feeling. He had given up on sadness a long time ago and bitterness didn't feel appropriate. All he could feel right now was sorrow, and possibly regret.

Did I make the right decisions in my life? Are there moments in which I could have done something better? Oh, what difference does it make. It's too late now, it's over for me.

"Link! Link, answer me!" Tatl shouted.

There's no use, Tatl. I can hear you but I can't do anything about this. Just leave me and my selfish self to eternally die in this body.

"Link! Uhh, Dreek, snap out of it! Show me the nice deku I met in the Palace gardens!"

Dreek didn't respond. He was too busy blocking everything out except the battle he was currently engaged in. Nothing could get through to him and eventually, Tatl realised this as well. She flew back to the princess, narrowly dodging a sword slice aimed for her, and got back in the safety of the cage.

"Felena, something is wrong with Dreek and I can't do anything about it. He just ignores me and pushes me away! I think maybe you might be able to get to him." Tatl panicked.

Flinching slightly at the casual use of her name, she seemed delighted to hear that Dreek had become the old soldier that would not want to care for her, but it also scared her in the same way as it did Tatl. Last time Dreek had a reason to be like this but if he had suddenly changed in a few minutes, something was wrong.

"What could I do?" Princess Felena asked.

"You are special to him. If you call out, you might be able to help regain his senses. Something bad has happened to him and I can't stand to see him like this. Please, help him." Tatl pleaded.

Making a face that seemed to say "I'll try", Felena moved to the edge of her cage and shouted to try and get his attention. To her surprise, the fighting continued uninterrupted as her cry went unnoticed. She tried shouting again, but failed again.

She did, however, manage to remind Odolwa of her existence as he now did what he could to edge the battle over to her. Doing what he could to avoid more swipes to the legs, his speed was also slowly returning which allowed his attacks to flow a little smoother as well. His shield had suffered a strong direct blow from the tip of Dreek's spear and had a spreading crack to prove it.

Dreek was too busy fighting to notice that they were drawing closer to the princess and he had managed to block her out as Link had ordered, which explained why he calls went unanswered. Link could still see the battle from his prison, though, and managed to see the princess out of the corner of his eye. At a different time, he may have called to watch out for her safety, and at a more recent time he would have told her to back off and leave him alone, but for now he could do nothing so his words were meaningless no matter what they were.

The princess had called a final time before giving up and turning back to the fairy behind her, showing the look of defeat upon her face.

"It didn't work?" Tatl asked.

"No. He didn't even look at me."

Both girls sighed, knowing that there was nothing they could do. They watched the battle once more to see Dreek slowly being pushed back, unknowingly toward them, and seeing him lose his footing slightly. Any signs of Dreek winning this battle had been and gone, although not for good. A well trained soldier would be able to tell that victory would still be possible for Dreek, despite the worsening situation, but that only Dreek himself would be able to know how.

Twirling his staff to deflect another sword strike, Odolwa's regained speed helped to increase the force of the blow and was enough to knock him to the ground. Looking up at the moving arm of the jungle warrior, Dreek saw the sword raised up high ready to plummet down and end him. He showed no look of horror or fear, which could not be said for the Deku Princess who seemed horrified that he might be about to die.

"Dreek! Look out!"

The alarmed words of the princess seemed to echo through the room and managed to reach Dreek as well. Obeying the command, he quickly rolled out of the way to avoid the large blade and stabbed Odolwa's leg once more with his spear.

Trapped in his mind, Link could see the ripple effect her words had on him and was amazed that she finally got through to him, even after all of his work. Did this mean he may have a chance at freedom after all? What did it matter. He didn't deserve it after all that he had done. Better to just remain here and let Dreek live his life again.

Odolwa, infuriated by the princess's scream, turned to her and leapt with sword up high. Felena could do nothing but stand there, rooted to the spot by her fear and constantly hoping that she may still live, but knowing it was unlikely.

"You shall not harm her!"

Dreek's spear flew through the air finding its way into Odolwa's back, causing him to lurch and mis-time his strike, slicing open the cage instead of killing the princess. He screamed out in pain and went to pull the spear out, only to find that Dreek had already got it and pulled it out himself in a more painful way than Odolwa would have liked.

Swinging his sword around behind him, Odolwa hoped to strike the annoying little deku but found nothing and quickly found he had backed away to gain room. Wielding his sword and shield in a firm grip, the battle between the two continued once more, but with a strong vigour restored in Dreek.

Tatl had flown down to the princess's side, who was panting very heavily from barely escaping her death. Tatl simply fluttered above her shoulder saying nothing in order to allow Felena to recover, but she was now intently watching the battle in front of her again, gaze fixed on Dreek.

"He saved me." Felena panted.

Dreek's spear had managed to find the crack in the shield once more and add a few more cracks to the originals.

"He fights for me." Felena panted again, regaining her normal breathing rate.

Odolwa had again regained some speed, but Dreek was so determined now he was able to keep up and at times was even faster than Odolwa and proved it by scratching him along the arms a few times.

"He loves me." Felena said, only just realising it.

The battle was now in Dreek's control with all attacks either missing him or hitting Odolwa. It was easy to tell that Odolwa was weakening and so Dreek knew the time was almost here, but he also knew there were things he needed to take care of first._"Link."_

_Dreek, you are cured?_ Link asked

_"You would call this cured, not what I once was?"_

_…I don't know._

Both didn't say anything for a little while as Dreek continued to go on the attack, but evening things out by acting defensively as well. Understanding that Link was not likely to say anything, Dreek broke the silence by saying what he had wanted to say.

"I have every reason to hate you and to harm you right now, but I'm going to forget it all and let this thing between us start fresh."

…Th…thank you.

Smiling inwardly, Dreek returned his concentration to the battle in front of him and gripped his spear tighter than before. Pooling together the last of his determination and warrior's strength, Dreek made one last attack at the shield in the heart of the cracks which shattered the whole thing. With no shield to stand in his way, Dreek batted another sword swipe away with his spear and managed to scratch both of Odolwa's arms at once with both ends of his spear.

Landing back on the ground, Dreek seemed to look up at Odolwa in pity and shame at the harm he had caused. There were numerous stab holes and seeping blood along his legs and both arms were holding the other to help suppress the pain that now existed there.

"Odolwa, please forgive me."

Dreek leaped up and bounded off the large sword to fly up above Odolwa's head before allowing himself to fall and plunge his spear into the top of the Amazon Warrior's skull. Blood flowed out from the wound and all movement had ceased. Dreek jumped off as Odolwa fell backwards to the ground where he lay, dead.

Felena stood, amazed at what she had just seen. Dreek, the youngest soldier in the entire Deku history, had just killed the mighty Odolwa on his own. No other soldier would have that skill, but right now this didn't matter. He had done this all for her. It was…amazing.

"Dreek, you did it!" Tatl shouted, flying over to him. "You were incredible!"

Dreek looked up from his solemn stare to see the fairy coming towards him.

"I fear I may have caused you grief in that battle. I'm sorry if I did." Dreek said softly.

"You're fine now. Nothing else matters."

"Uh, Dreek?"

Both turned to see the princess standing before them in a polite, yet informal stance.

"You were really brave out there Dreek. Thank you, for coming to rescue me." Felena said, a warm smile on her face.

"I did what I felt I should do."

"Dreek, I also want to apologise. I rudely turned you away every time you tried to approach me. I didn't even attempt to listen to you. I see now I may have been wrong in my actions, and…I think…I…"

"Princess." Dreek cut in. Felena fell silent. "What feelings I may have said to express are gone, just as you ordered. If you say what I think you will, I wish to say now that it will not work. Please forget me and treat me as a soldier of the Palace. Nothing more."

As much as she tried, Felena could not speak. After all this time of denying him, he was now denying her. Is this how he felt all those times? Suddenly she seemed so cruel.

A blue light started seeping out of Odolwa's body as it slowly vanished only leaving the mask that he wore. It seemed to hang in the air as the light closed into a circle around it.

"I have something else I must do now, princess. I will return shortly to escort you back to the palace."

Without waiting for an answer, Dreek turned toward the light leaving Tatl behind to choose between joining him or comforting the princess. She wanted to help the princess, but knew that the light would lead to the giant they had been looking for and that it had a greater importance. Choosing not to say anything, Tatl quickly caught up with Dreek as he stepped into the light and left the temple with the mask in hand.

---

Link stood in the middle of a light green podium hanging in the void he was now in. He was no longer trapped in his deku form as it seemed it was he who was called for and nobody else, so he was freed. This would be how Link always remembered it.

Water seemed to be covering and flowing off the podium without increasing or decreasing in volume. Surrounding it were more waterfalls of the strange lime coloured liquid creating numerous bubbles in their wake. It also made an equally strange mist that made it difficult to see very far in any direction.

Looking down at the hexagonal podium he stood on Link couldn't help but be reminded of the Chamber of Sages and how he had to return to it every time a Sage had been awakened. It seemed like it would be the same again, only with these giants.

Tatl had been floating around, trying to discover where she was and then expected to fly back to Dreek, not expecting Link.

"Link? Oh you've got a lot of explaining to do." Tatl said matter-of-factly.

"I understand my actions were not best, but right now it is irrelevant. We must find this giant." Link replied.

Slightly stunned at a calm reply instead of an angry one, Tatl wasn't sure if she should continue her rant or to speak rationally. This didn't matter as a loud wail filled the air that seemed to be coming from behind one of the waterfalls.

"What is that?" Tatl asked.

The wailing repeated itself, but louder than before so that it was audible. To Link, and near any other person who would have been there, it was nothing more than inconsistent wailing but somehow Tatl was getting something from it and listening to try and translate.

"'Who…sent you?' I think that's what it's saying." Tatl said.

"The Mask man of Hyrule set me this task." Link answered.

The wailing came again, softer and seemingly saying "I see," although even Tatl was unsure it was right as it was said so softly. A moment later and the cry came back louder, saying something new.

"'Call us…when…my brethren…are free.' Link, he must be referring to the other giants. But, how would we call you?"

Instead of the broken cry that Tatl had worked to translate, the sound that came was smooth and like that of a melody. Confirming it, the Ocarina of Time floated out of the pocket Link kept it in and stopped in front of his hands, indicating to play it.

Holding it in his hands, he moved it towards his lips and did what he could to match the sounds the giant was making. The sound that came out of the ocarina was softer, but also more sad or remorseful than that of the giant's.

Once he had played the tune a few times to fully know it and remember it, the sweet sound became the hurt wailing again as it attempted to speak.

"'Return…to the…beginning…and free…my brethren.' The beginning? Link, what do you-"

Before Tatl had the chance to finish, the whole chamber began to glow brightly until only the light could be seen. What needed to be said had been said, and now their time was up.

Link suggested simply. Link briefly asked. Link suddenly stated. myDreek answered. Link corrected, looking at the trapped princess in the corner. Link voiced. Dreek yelled back. Link creepily smiled.Link said to himself. Link asked. 


	12. Chapter 12: The trial

**Chapter 12: The Trial**

The light that had taken Link and Tatl out of the Giant's chamber had placed them outside the temple, next to the entrance. It had also done the same for the princess, who was now extremely confused about the entire situation. This was before she noticed that Dreek had gone and Link had arrived.

"Wh-what's going on? Dreek, what is…who are you?!" Felena suddenly screamed.

"Uh, I am…" Link began, then fell short.

"This is Link." Tatl quickly added. "He's a fr- he knows Dreek and he will bring no harm to you." _I hope._

"So where is Dreek then? What happened to him after he vanished in that light?"

"It is long and complicated. Perhaps it is best if we got you back to the palace, and then we can talk." Tatl suggested.

"Ah, father! He will be glad to hear I am safe. Yes, let us talk back at the palace."

The three fell silent after that and were all content with walking and not speaking.

---

Dreek had left the palace a little after dawn and because it was now long after midday, the guards posted by the main gate were growing tired of keeping a constant watch for so long. Some of them were actually good friends with Dreek having been trained in the same regiment so being ordered to watch out and arrest him was not only tiresome, but also difficult to accept.

Still, orders are orders.

One of the soldiers was walking back down towards the western side of the palace where he almost missed the oncoming movement. When looking again when he turned around to go back up, he noticed the familiar head-dress that the princess usually wore. Going by the somewhat vague description given by the King, it was also possible to tell that the human was coming back with her.

"Alert the King." The soldier called down to another below. "The princess has returned, along with the human!"

The soldier quickly darted down the hall to the King's chamber to inform him of the boy's return. It did not take long to get the attention of the King as he soon left his throne and was marching towards the main gate just as Link and Felena arrived. The doors were opened revealing Link, standing silently, and princess Felena running to her father.

"Father!" She cried.

"Felena! It gladdens my heart to see you still alive." The King replied, happily embracing his daughter. After the embrace he then turned to Link with a stern face.

"Guards, arrest this boy. Take all his weapons and possessions as well." The King ordered.

"What? Why?" Both Felena and Tatl asked together, Tatl quickly regretting revealing herself.

"I shall not explain myself here. Perhaps the boy will be able to when put on trial. Take him to court."

A number of deku guards surrounded Link and quickly disarmed him of all his weapons including the bow belonging to general Berrin, but nobody seemed to recognise it. They also took the Ocarina of Time which Link wasted no time to protest.

"Leave that with me." Link poorly demanded.

"All your possessions will be withheld until after your trial, also depending on the outcome of the trial. If you are innocent, you will get this back." A guard stated.

Accepting, but not liking, defeat, Link allowed himself to be taken down the long familiar corridors to a different part of the palace that seemed to be much bigger than the other sections he had been to the day before as Dreek.

Eventually, they made their way to a large set of double doors that led to what Link presumed to be the court. It was quite a basic room in terms of design with long wooden benches and an unseeingly high podium at the far end. Sat at the top of the podium was the deku King with a small wooden mallet at his side in place of his large spear.

"Place the defendant in the stand." the King ordered.

The guards proceeded to sit Link behind a smaller podium set apart from the King's where every person present could see him. From this point Link could now see another set of wooden benches to the other side of the King, all of whom were seated there Link recognised as the council members.

Once the guards had made sure Link was in place, they all moved back to surround the exits and any extra sat down to watch the trial go forward. The two who had manned the main entrance opened it on command to let the princess walk in and also sit down to watch the trial. Despite being of royalty, it seemed only the King or Queen had any authority in a trial.

"Are we all present?" The King began. "Good. Now begins the trial for the possible murder or kidnapping of a soldier missing in action."

"Wait, do you mean Dreek?" Tatl quickly asked.

"Yes, and just who are you? It is rare to see a fairy outside of their realm."

"I am Tatl, your highness. I am one of Link's companions."

"Link is his name? That saves some time." The King said, creating a small 'eep' from Tatl.

"Father, if I might ask, why do you make these claims? It is thanks to Dreek that I am still alive and escaped from the temple." Princess Felena mentioned.

"So do you know where he is now?" the King asked.

"Ah. No, I do not." The princess sighed sadly.

"Richard. Come to the stand please."

A tall deku, easily recognised as the King's personal Butler, stepped forward from one of the benches and stood before the King and the counsel.

"Now, tell everyone here what you saw this morning."

"I saw Dreek, my son, leave the palace grounds. He pulled out that fairy and then somehow turned into the boy seated there. I saw this all with my own eyes." The Butler, Richard, explained.

Satisfied with his Butler's honesty, the King now turned back to Link.

"Dekus are unable to use magic of any kind, so explain to me how you were able to take the form of one of my men."

"We met by chance, and also by the consequence of a curse." Link began, deciding to tell the truth. "The Dreek you saw was truly him, but he now only exists in a mask. You saw him because I was wearing the mask and that allowed him to come out in his own body, with some slight characteristics of my own, hence the green hat."

"What exactly placed this curse on him?" the King asked.

"The curse was placed on me by the mask that Dreek spoke of, Majora. Dreek just happened to combine with me as it was easier to fuse spirits to change a form than to do it purely by magic. I was healed, though, and that is how Dreek now resides in a mask and I have my body back."

"And I don't suppose you have proof to back up this claim, do you?"

Link didn't answer, but instead reached to his invisible pack, which Link was glad the guards did not find, and pulled out the deku mask that Dreek resided in.

"This is Dreek when I am not wearing him." Link said, showing the mask so all could see.

"Hmmm, I shall believe you for now. And my daughter, it was the two of you who helped rescue her?"

"Yes, it was. Alone, we infiltrated the Woodfall temple and-"

_Don't mention Odolwa!_ Dreek suddenly said.

"And?" the King repeated.

"And managed to slay the one who had kidnapped her in the first place." Link finished.

The King placed his head in his hands and looked to his council to find any looks of discontent. Finding none, he turned back to Link with what seemed to be a humble smile.

"You have done a great service to my people so I give you my thanks. You are-"

"I wouldn't be so quick to your verdict, King Tevelos."

Having appeared from seemingly nowhere, the skull kid who wore Majora's Mask now floated in the middle of the room, staring at Link with the blood red eyes. The fact that only Tatl seemed to notice was that he was here alone with no fairy fluttering by his side.

"Majora! Where is Tael?" Tatl asked.

"Your brother? He stepped out of line, so I got rid of him."

"So where is he?" Tatl asked again, louder than before.

"He's dead. He was getting on my nerves." Majora answered casually, as if it were nothing.

"Dead? M-my brother is…dead?" Tatl said, her voice obviously shaking.

"Yes, and a horrid shame it is. Now on to more important matters." Majora uncaringly said, now looking at the King.

"Why have you interrupted this trial, stalchild?" the King asked.

"I come to bring news relating to the current trial. Yes, he saved your beloved and beautiful daughter, but he neglected to mention how he did it. For you see, this beast he claimed to have killed, it was no beast. It was Odolwa."

There were a number of gasps and an expected quarrel between all the council members. The King hit the podium with his mallet a number of times to ask for silence, but the information was too much and the row continued.

"He killed Odolwa and had every intention to do so from the start. This is murder of the highest degree, and behold," Majora raised the skull kid's arm which also lifted the mask that Odolwa wore out of the invisible pack it seemed to have vanished to. "The boy even has proof of this. The mask that Odolwa wore is now in his possession, likely nothing more to him than the spoils of war."

The gasps that followed were even greater than before and some were even close to tears. The King managed to keep his composure and was ready to issue more commands.

"Guards! Take this boy and keep him in one of the cells. I must think of the boy's verdict."

Without warning, the guards were upon Link and had forced his hands behind his back - with Tatl still in them - and tied them up with a strong, thick vine.

Majora laughed silently to himself at the situation the boy was in. His smugness gave way to letting Link have the Odolwa mask back which could have been a potentially big mistake, but at this point of time it didn't matter to him. For now, he would go back to the Clock Tower and continue to work on his revenge against the world.

---

Once Link had arrived at the cell, the vine was cut loose and he was thrown in with the door quickly locked shut behind him. The cell itself was expectantly basic with the same wooden walls as the palace and tough bamboo criss-crossed to make a door. The ground was the bare earth like that outside of the palace but with no room for comfort with the ground being hard mud beneath the small layer of grass scattered here and there.

Spying no way to escape, Link crawled into a corner and set Tatl down by his side so she could rest. She had stopped crying now, but she was still plainly upset and kept her thoughts to herself. Link wanted to share his with Dreek, but he spoke first with other matters on his mind.

_Is Tatl alright?_ Dreek asked in concern.

"_No. She's trying, but…" _Link trailed off.

_I wonder if she__ realises__ that by playing the Song of Time, we can go back and Tael will still be alive._

"_She may have, but I doubt it's enough to absolve all the sadness."_

Link looked down at Tatl to see her with her head between her legs quietly muttering to herself. He couldn't help but share her sorrow for some reason. What pained him more was that he realised perhaps the day before he would have been angry at her for showing a sign of weakness. What had he become?

All this time he had kept trying to be his older self, plagued by anger and hatred for anyone who had taken anything from him, but now that he had lost everything, and only just started to get it back, he was the young child he once was before any of this had affected him and changed his life. He didn't want to be a scared little boy again. He had to be strong, but where would he start? All he could think of was the here and now.

"_Dreek, what's going on?"_ Link asked. Dreek sighed.

_The King is-_

"_Hold on."_

Link removed the deku mask from his pack and donned it so Dreek was on the outside. The stifled grunt of pain was enough to alert Tatl to what was going on and also enough to bring her out of her slump to make her look. She was glad for the distraction.

_So Tatl may know as well._ Link explained.

Dreek acknowledged the sign of gesture with a mental nod, and took note of how much he had changed in so short a time. It made him scared that he had changed that much himself to cause Link's change. He was not as concerned as Link was of it, though, so directed his attention to Tatl instead.

"Tatl?"

"Dreek? What happened to you?" Tatl asked, fighting to keep back any more tears.

"It doesn't matter. What matters now is how we can get out of this mess." Dreek answered. He was surprised at how Tatl so selflessly asked about Dreek and didn't care about herself.

"So why are we here then? Majora, he mentioned the name Odolwa then the King became mad. Why?"

"Odolwa is the one who I fought in the temple…and he is also our God."

_Your God?!_

"So, when the King heard Link had killed him…" Tatl began.

"Yes, he jumped to unnecessary conclusions and locked us in here, but it's not as simple as that." Dreek finished.

"It's not?" Link asked, speaking instead of thinking.

"No. You see, Odolwa was a deity that roamed among his people. He helped keep our lands alive and taught us of justice and peace. Sadly, a day came when a horrid darkness threatened to cover our land, so Odolwa sacrificed himself to protect our people and to give our land continuing life.

"This happened thousands of years ago and Odolwa has been thought to have been dead all this time. The fact that he was alive would be a miracle to the people, but because we are the ones who killed him, and freed him of the curse that was placed upon him, nobody would look kindly upon us and why we are here."

Tatl shuffled her way to the back wall so she had something to rest on. Clearly she was looking better and the distraction was working, but the only thing that really mattered was for how long.

"Wait, you mentioned a curse. Why would you assume there was a curse?" Link asked.

"You mean ignoring the completely irrational behaviour of a friendly deity? Odolwa blessed our lands so they may live after his death, so when he was revived - which seems the only logical explanation for his return - he was revived in a cursed state, and so our land was cursed with it."

Everyone seemed to agree with this theory and chose to accept it.

"So how do we get out of here?" Tatl asked.

"We don't. Everything we had has been taken from us and the guard keeps the keys on him at all times. We only go free if we are let free. There's nothing else we can do for now, so we should get some rest and hope for a good verdict."

Tatl silently agreed then tried to curl up in the corner to get comfortable. It didn't work, but she didn't want to fidget or bother with anywhere else. It only took a few minutes for her thoughts to find that of her brother again, but she was taking it much better than before by keeping her feelings inside and not out.

Dreek let Link have his body back as it would be much easier to sleep as a human than a deku with no large flowers or soft earth to lie on. Link lay on his back staring at the roof of the cell trying to figure out his life and what it all meant. He would never get an answer, but he still tried.

---

The King had surprisingly spent the previous night going over a number of scrolls trying to find as much as possible on their ancient god, Odolwa. Having felt he had found enough, he let himself fall asleep in his chambers and the most luxury the palace had to offer.

The next morning the entire council, the King and the princess, had all assembled in the conference room next to the court. As usual, there was a constant rabble from all the council, all arguing different things. The princess sat next to the King where both had a bit more distance between them and the nearest council members, just to show their authority.

"Alright, settle down, settle down." the King ordered. "We are all here to decide the fate of the human boy we currently have in custody. I would like to hear the council's opinion first."

Before another burst of voices filled the room, High Councillor Seega stood to speak for the whole council by summarising what they spoke of the day before.

"The council agrees on one thing, sire, and that is this boy has killed our guardian deity with proof of his actions. We believe the punishment for this should be his own death." Seega announced.

"Hmm, I see. I would ask of you of your thoughts as to why Odolwa kidnapped my daughter in the first place."

"Ah," Seega said, caught off guard. "This had not crossed our minds."

"Perhaps he was going to sacrifice her to protect our land from this new darkness." One councillor suggested.

"Don't be a fool. The princess is the last of the royal line. If Odolwa were to sacrifice her then we would lose all ruling after the death of the king. We would fall into anarchy!" another councillor retorted.

"Father, what is your view on this?" Felena asked.

The King paused for a moment until he was sure that everyone was listening and that he felt what he was about to say was correct.

"I believe Odolwa was cursed." he said bluntly.

As expected of them, another large rabble broke out amongst the council with everyone saying what they thought whilst having no intention to listen to anyone else.

"The how and why are irrelevant," the King continued, "What matters is that Odolwa had been revived with this curse and were we to have found a cure to this curse then our guardian deity would be among us once more."

"Father, what are you implying?"

"If this boy had simply returned immediately after he had seen Odolwa, then we would have come to this same conclusion while he still lived and we may have found a cure. If he hadn't been so rash in his foolish actions, then Odolwa would live with us again!"

"But father, Odolwa was threatening to kill me. He almost did kill me! Had this child returned, I would have been killed before you could send anyone else to rescue me." Felena protested, irritated at her father's claim.

"You don't know that." the King quickly answered. "He may have left you alive so that we may be able to help him and if that were the case, then I wish the boy had left you so we could try to find a cure."

"So it doesn't matter what happened to me, so long as Odolwa lived, is that it?" Felena asked, now obviously angry.

"Of course!"

"Ah! I can't believe you! You wouldn't even care if your own daughter died so long as you could bring an old god back, one that might kill all of you no less."

"Felena, that's not what I-"

"No, I don't care anymore. You talk with your collection of indecisive old men for as long as you want, but I will have no more part in this. Just know you are making a mistake to punish this child for his actions."

Her outburst finished, she did not wait to hear another word as she left her place at the table and stormed out of the room in an angry manner. From behind the door on the opposite side, the King's butler was standing in wait for either the King or the princess to leave so that he may serve them as he always had done. Walking quickly so that he may catch up with the princess, he walked along side her to try and get a facial expression and how to first speak.

"Young miss, is something troubling you?" he eventually asked.

"That council is as loud as ever and father insists on letting his arrogance take control by listening to no other opinion save that of his own." Felena answered, huffing occasionally.

"Miss Felena, it is not good to harbour such anger. You should calm yourself." the butler suggested.

She sighed, "I know, I'm sorry."

"If I may be so bold as to ask, may this agitation stem from any possible stress you may have had when captured?" the butler asked.

"Hmm, possibly, and confusing feelings."

The two had, by now, started walking once again and unconsciously making their way towards the upper walls which had a good view of most of the forest and the top of the Clock Tower.

"Confusing feelings?"

"…Richard, I can talk to you freely, can't I?" Felena asked.

"Of course, Miss Felena. I would never judge you."

"I think…my feelings are towards Dreek." she slowly said.

"Commander Dreek?" Richard asked to confirm.

"Yes, your son. Yesterday, it was he who thought Odolwa, not the child locked up. Odolwa nearly killed me in that battle but it was Dreek who managed to stop him and save me despite all I told him and put him through."

Richard remained silent, intently listening to the tale the princess was telling him.

"I saw something in him that I have never seen before."

"And this is what you believe is giving you these odd feelings?" Richard asked. Felena simply nodded.

"Richard, I'm so confused. What should I do?"

Both had now reached the destination of the wall where they finally stopped to look out and see the whole of the forest. It still looked old and decayed, but life was slowly returning to it and if one looked hard enough, they might be able to see it.

"As a friend, I want to be able to comfort you, but as a father I want to help my son as well. For these circumstances, I am afraid there is nothing I can say that can compromise both of those roles. I believe this is something you will have to figure out on your own."

"Hm, thank you Richard. I shall think on this."

Richard left the princess alone to her thoughts and returned to the side of the conference room he was standing by before the princess had come out. Felena looked out to the Clock tower instead of her homeland, but was concentrating more on the evil-looking moon slowly falling to the ground.

It seemed unlikely for anyone to survive when the moon collided, and judging by how big it now looked, today was their final day on earth. If this was true, she did not want to leave with any regrets at all. If there was something she felt for Dreek, then she would act upon those feelings before the day was done. Sadly, the only problem was trying to understand if she did have feelings or not.

They had been around each other since their early childhood. They went to the same academy, lived in the same place and eventually worked in the same place until she pushed him away. All this time he had been after her heart and had always been shot down.

Why had she always denied him? Because she was still naïve and wanted an older, stronger man that she might love. Just now realising this, she felt foolish for her past expectations and ashamed of her past actions.

She quickly rid her mind of these thoughts as she was letting herself get sidetracked. What really mattered right now was how she felt, and this was not a matter that could be resolved instantly.

---

The day for Link had been long and uneventful. The sun was slowly dipping below the horizon which covered the forest in a dark orange glow. Not that this mattered to Link as he got no sunlight in his cell. The only light he had was of the torches set up on the opposite wall and even they were not that bright. This, Link guessed, was for fear of burning everything down.

The three cell-mates had spoken earlier and saw the reality that they were unlikely to escape or do anything else productive in this cycle of time, so it was merely a matter of waiting and hoping to be released. Regardless of their verdict, the plan was to find the Ocarina of Time and the rest of Link's belongings then go back to the first day again. If they didn't, they were bound to die when the moon finished its decent.

Right now, Link was curled up in the corner trying to rest in what comfort there was while Tatl remained awake as the watch. Her ears pricked up when she heard the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs at the far end.

"Link, wake up. Someone's coming." Tatl urgently whispered.

Link quickly got up and instinctively reached for the hilt of his blade, only to remember it was gone. He calmed his hand when the glow of a moving torch came towards them. All were surprised when, holding the torch, the deku princess appeared and unlocked the door.

"Felena?" Tatl asked to confirm.

"Shhh. You are being wrongly accused. Follow me and you may live." Felena whispered.

"_May_ live? What does that mean?" Link questioned.

"Your verdict has been decided. You are to be executed at dawn." Felena hurriedly answered.

"At dawn?! Do they not realise there will be no dawn?!"

"My father surrounds himself with fools. Now hurry, we do not have much time."

She left the door open as she stood a little back from it, constantly watching the hall from which she had come as if guarding it. Tatl silently darted out, also trying to get a read of the princess but finding nothing to go on. Link slowly followed also checking to see if anyone was coming from behind. Once they were all sure they were alone, they quickly made for the upper levels.

Once clear of the holding cells, they had found their way to the many long corridors of the palace. It occurred to all of them how easy it might be to escape the palace once out of a cell showing how lax the guard was, or how cocky the King was.

"Where are you taking us?" Link whispered.

"I heard you-" Felena began, then suddenly stopped.

It only took the once repeated sound of a footstep for Felena to push Link aside and stuff him in the closest room which fortunately happened to be the room of a soldier who was still on duty. Making sure Tatl had followed him in; Felena closed the door behind them and leaned against the opposite wall. A moment later and a passing soldier came into view.

"Ah, princess. It is a surprise to see you out here." The soldier said when seeing the princess.

"A lot has happened today. I felt I should take a walk and think over some things." Felena said, faking a yawn.

"Princess, perhaps you should return to your room soon and rest a while. I can imagine these events are tiresome."

"I may do soon. Thank you for your concern."

The soldier nodded in thanks and continued down the hall. Felena waited until the soldier was out of sight and could no longer be heard before opening the door again. Moving quicker than before, Felena continued talking from where she had been cut off.

"I heard you made a bit of a fuss when the guards tried to take away an item of yours. I figure you would want it back, along with the rest of your belongings."

"And how will we get them back?" Link asked.

"Easily enough, but we have to remain silent and not be seen."

After that, they all did fall silent for fear that any more words would reveal themselves and ruin their escape. There were a few more narrow escapes from the sight of the guards on the way to one of the sentry towers, but they all still managed to make it there without the knowledge of Link's escape being known.

Once they had arrived, Link hid outside this time as there was an open archway leading to a small garden perfect for not being seen. Felena opened the door to the lower level of the tower and relieved the guard of his duty, using the excuse that he should go and rest with his shift almost over. Quickly leading him into the tower, Felena closed the door and assured them all that it was now safe to speak again.

"Your belongings are being held one floor above us on racks. We can get there by the stairs, but there are things I must know before I can let you free."

Link stayed silent, awaiting the questions. Tatl tried to get a read of both people here and got an obvious look of seriousness on their faces. She said nothing to interfere.

"What were your intentions when you first came here? You surely could not known of my situation until after you had arrived."

"Correct. We came to free the giant in these lands. We need them to help stop the moon from falling and defeat Majora, the mask that skull kid wore."

"And what of Dreek's condition? Do you know of any way to reverse it?" Felena asked, not sounding hopeful but just curious.

"I know of no way to help him, so he remains sealed in the mask."

"I see. Then I wish you luck on your journey. Now let us get your things."

Felena lead the way to the staircase joined to the side of the circular tower that did lead to a room above. The room below had been filled with an unorganised mess of boxes and other unwanted items but above there were a number of neat shelves with an assortment of objects made so it was easy to find something.

Because of this, it did not take Link long to find his sword, newly acquired bow and the precious Ocarina of Time. He also found Odolwa's mask below and a few other masks that Link had not seen before. At this point he seemed to remember the words of the mask man that the more masks he obtained, his power would grow. Taking a pig-faced mask labelled as the Mask of Scents and a strangely marked red eye seemingly called the Mask of Truth, he put them with Odolwa's mask and slotted them all into the magical pack he always wore.

Without warning and surprising everyone in the tower, the sound of a loud gong filled the air alerting everyone in the palace to its existence. Everyone knew what this meant, and for Link and Tatl, it was not good.

"That is the alarm. The guard must have gone back and noticed you were missing. You must leave, now!"

Rushing over to a door on their level leading outside on to a wall, Felena stood aside allowing both renegades to leave then followed them out and left with them. They had ran halfway along the wall before Link stopped, having noticed a number of guards coming along from the next wall. Turning to run the other way, the same sight could be seen.

"Felena, is there any other way out from here besides jumping?" Link asked quickly.

"No, we are trapped." She answered.

"Link, we have no choice. We have to play the song now!" Tatl exclaimed.

The soldiers running along the length of the walls had now reached their respective watchtower and were now clumsily making their way through.

"I know. Felena, we must leave now to save this world. We won't be coming back here."

"I understand. Go, and tell Dreek…I'll be waiting for him when he returns."

Accepting the request, Link held the Ocarina of Time in his hands and played the Song of Time as fluently and quickly as possible. Just as the doors of the towers opened, Link and Tatl had vanished in a faint blue light leaving no evidence of their presence behind.

The soldiers all surrounded the princess expecting to see the boy with her. Some looked over the wall to see if he had jumped off but it was now too dark to tell. When they established he was not here, they all left with others offering to escort the princess back and all being denied the pleasure. Instead, she just stood and stared at the moon which stared back.

"I will wait for you, Dreek. This may be my final day, but I shall wait forever until the time I can be with you again, my love."


	13. Chapter 13: Snows of Despair

**Chapter 13: Snows of Despair**

The sun shone brightly down on the large populace of Clock Town and still fiercely battled with the malevolent moon to give hope to the people below. Thanks to Link playing the Song of Time it now had three more days to try but it was still doomed to fail.

Link stood below this in the same spot he stood in before when he first entered the bustling town, and also when he first travelled back through time. Instead of ask demanding questions or complain at the unfortunate situation he was stuck in, Link instead just looked up at the sky and at the moon, thinking.

"Sinister-looking, isn't it?"

Link jumped to see the happy mask man standing next to him and also looking up into the sky, or more specifically the moon.

"But hopefully there should be nothing to worry about. I still believe in your skills and I know you can stop this." He added.

Link stood and stared silently at the mask man as there was nothing he felt necessary to respond to. Tatl was floating around the place to soak in that they had gone back and to happily understand that her brother must still be alive in this time and not mercilessly killed. She breathed a sigh of relief but didn't let herself get too distracted by drawing herself back to the mask man who started this whole adventure.

"I see you have been to the swamp-like kingdom of the Dekus. Ah, and I also see you have released one of the giants necessary to stop this calamity." The mask man noticed, somehow looking into Link's pack to see the remains of Odolwa.

"How is it you know of these events?" Link asked.

The mask man chuckled lightly, "I have my ways, but know that, besides yourself, only I and the guardians of the land, when free, are able to bypass the flow of time and see alternative times that have already occurred. Like the ones you have been in, for example. I saw you meet the Gerudo witches. I saw Majora kill the witches a short time after you left them. I even saw you fight with yourself, but when you went to speak with the giant, that I did not see."

"Why not?" Tatl asked.

"It is a realm that I cannot see from afar with my limited powers. It may have been possible once upon a time, but that time is long gone.

"So where should we go now? We have no more leads!" Tatl exclaimed.

"Do you not remember your brother's words when you met him up there?" the mask man pointed to the top of the clock tower, "I believe he spoke of the four provinces in each corner of the land. You have been to the swamp, that which remains is the mountain, the ocean and the canyon. Of the three, I would recommend going to the mountain first. If you wish to know why, the boy here will find out once you have done what is necessary up there."

There was a pause with all being confused at the encrypted words of the mask man. "We shall go to the mountain then." Link said.

"Hm, I see the time you have had to think has made you willing to the task set before you. Let us hope this change continues to be a good one." The mask man said, smiling.

Link abruptly left with Tatl following next to him. They walked peacefully through the streets saying nothing to each other until they had left through the northern wall, being the closest exit to the mountain they needed to climb. The northern exit happened to be close to the park the two had first come to when Link arrived, but both silently agreed to not bring up anything relating to it. Once they passed through the large guarded archway, they saw just what kind of a mountain it was they needed to climb and just stared at the feat ahead of them.

There was a small gorge between them and the mountain that was their goal but that itself was not the problem. The entire mountain was covered in snow and only stopped close to the bottom. Leading up and around to the back was a clearly visible pass which would take them to the temple, they guessed, but even then the pass was still covered in snow and looked gruellingly hard to cross.

Looking at each other with the same expression of reluctance, both Link and Tatl followed a path down into the gorge that would later take them back up and on to the mountain pass. Tatl felt like trying to talk to this new, or changed, Link but wasn't entirely sure where to start. She still hadn't finished hearing the end of his story as the Hero of Time, but it still sounded like a touchy subject so she left it alone. While thinking of a topic starter, Link found it for her by looking up at the snowy mountain in curiosity.

"Tatl, what is this mountain we are heading towards?" Link asked.

"It's called Snowhead. On the other side, hidden from view, is a community of Gorons who are known for making and trading weapons. It's also where an ancient temple is said to be, but few are sure as the path up is not commonly walked by other peoples. Only Gorons have the strength and speed to make it through the pass in a single day." Tatl explained.

"And we only have three. I'm beginning to think this task is not possible to complete." Link said, doubtful.

"I think we should trust the mask man. He sounds like he knows what we should be doing." Tatl said. Link visibly slowed down while his face showed mixed emotions of sorrow, agitation and solemnity.

"Trust? I'm sorry, Tatl, but trust is something that I can't easily give. My trust has been broken too many times before."

"Oh, because of your past. Well, maybe now is a good time to try again. After all, whether you trust him or not you're still going to be doing what he says in order to go home. Just try, even if it is for the last time."

"Tatl, I just can't take that risk. I know you mean well, but just let me do this without having to lose anything." Link finished.

Knowing when to stop, Tatl didn't raise the trust issue anymore and silently flew next to the boy as they reached the base of the mountain. The start of the trek would be the easiest part as, although it was the steepest part, it was also free from snow so there would be nothing to slow them down. Placing his first footprint into the snow once the path levelled out a bit, Link also noticed a few shallow, clean-cut troughs that he identified as a Goron trail.

Gorons themselves were a very strong and proud race by nature. Mountainous places such as this would be a common home for Gorons due to the fact that a common food source for them is rocks. Their physical features reflect this as it is their incredibly tough hide which gives them an incredible defence as well as a strong offence. Another feature that comes as a result of this is their weight, which is big. This normally makes them slow but because of the way in which their backs curve over, a handy ability is to be able to curl up into a ball and roll at high speeds through nearly any terrain. The tracks that Link was looking at were of a rolling Goron and also the reason why only a Goron could move through the pass in a single day.

This was not going to deter Link from his task, though. He set out with some sort of a determination to be the first person to walk the pass in a day, but only because he had to.

The first thing, besides the tracks, that was noticeable was how cold it was slowly becoming. When Ganondorf had frozen over Zora's Domain Link understood how cold it had to be for snow to fall and ice to form, but he had been older then and there had been little to no snow at all. Now he was climbing up a mountain covered in snow as it grew colder with every step. He immediately regretted not getting some warmer clothing when in town, but knew it was too late to turn back now.

Prints of his brown boots were left behind in the Goron's trail where he stepped while it also picked up snow and stuck to the soles. The extra, foot-numbing weight was not something he needed but this quickly became irrelevant as more snow gently fell down and stuck to the rest of his clothes and skin in an equally numbing way. In just a few minutes and a few hundred metres, Link was mostly covered in soft snow and only just able to feel the tips of his fingers. Every now and again, Link would wiggle his fingers about just to get the ice off that had formed from the melted snow.

Hours passed and their progress was consistent as they neared the point where the pass curved round to the back of the mountain. They stopped for a moment to look behind them and see the distance they had covered. Far below them was the foot of the mountain and a little further from that was the now tiny Clock Town. Looking up the moon looked a lot bigger but whether this was because they were higher or because it had come lower, it was hard to tell.

Doing her best to cover herself from the snow and the wind, Tatl admired Link and herself for managing to come this far up in such a short amount of time. They had rarely stopped as they had now on their ascent and they moved at a good, constant pace. By now, though, it had long passed midday and she was strongly reminded of the fact that she hadn't had anything to eat in a long time.

"Link, I'm hungry. Do we have anything to eat?" She pleadingly asked. Link cursed himself for yet another thing he should have gotten when in the town.

"Sorry Tatl. We don't. Here, sit on my shoulder, or under my hat if you wish.HHHH It will shelter you from the cold and gives you a chance to rest."

Tatl happily complied and opted to go under his hat and rest. Link was also getting hungry himself, but he had gone without food for a few days before so this was something he could ignore. It was the snow and wind that made walking the pass the most difficult thing. Yes, they had gotten this far before the day's end, but only because Link had been pushing himself as much as he could and it was possible for him to give at any moment now. This still did nothing to stop him or slow him down as the path became more level when walking around the side of Snowhead.

Another hour later and Clock Town had now hidden itself from view as the tips of a secluded village peeked over the top of a small crevice. They were rounded and tipped at the top so Link wasn't sure if they belonged to the Gorons or not, seeing as they naturally preferred large caves, but it was definitely a village and that meant both food and shelter.

Having noticed that Tatl had dozed off a short while ago, Link decided to let her snooze a while longer and tell her of the village when she woke up or when they arrived. Instead he quickened his pace slightly to get there faster and immediately felt the foolish effects of his actions. Pushing himself that little bit more was enough to tip it over the limit and release all the strain on his muscles. His legs wobbled, his head bobbed around in dizziness and now his strength had failed him the cold was able to attack him full blast and blow him back. Feebly shielding his eyes with his frozen arm, Link trudged onward with a much slower pace than before as his vision slowly faded in and out. Attempting to take one more step, Link fell forward and managed to land partly on his side so he wouldn't suffocate on the snow, then blanked out.

--

The smell and warmth of the fire slowly stirred Link awake from his undisturbed slumber as he tried to move. Despite the new heat, his body still felt mostly frozen which greatly limited his immediate movement but things cracked in to place once he had stretched out a little.

He pushed himself off his uncomfortably stiff bed to get a better look of his surroundings. It was a small, circular room made of stone that curved in at the top to create a dome shape. To his right there was an old, worm-ridden door while to his left there was some sort of a make-shift fireplace that was lit and giving off the heat Link could feel. Besides these two simplistic features there wasn't anything else in the room. Just an old bed with an old fire sealed shut by an old door. It then surprised Link to see a large Goron open the door and enter.

"Ah, good. You're awake." He said.

For a Goron, this one would be what you generally expected of one having only heard but never seen. His height matched that of a full-grown man while his girth was also shown with the large, curved back that had a very rough look to it. It was hard to tell, but he looked to be around his late twenties or so.

"Where am I?" Link asked, keeping his priorities straight.

"Our village, Little Snowhead. We imagine you saw it before you collapsed where we found you." The Goron explained.

"We?"

"My friends and I. We were coming back from the city when we found you on the trail. You were unconscious so we brought you back and laid you down here until you awoke, which leads us to now. Oh, my name is Bramne." The Goron, Bramne, said.

"Well, thanks. Wait, where are my belongings?" Link quickly asked, having just remembered them.

"Oh, you're weapons. Well, one of my friends insisted in taking your short sword and working on it before returning it. He's a blacksmith and quite a legend on these mountains so you should have it back sometime tomorrow or the following morning in a much stronger form. Everything else was left in another room in here as your fairy friend felt it was for the best."

Link let his gaze wonder as his mind was more on his missing sword being upgraded, until a moment later when the words 'fairy friend' sunk in.

"Tatl? Where is she?" Link asked, a little louder than before.

"She is fine. She's waiting in the next room over with your belongings waiting for you to wake up. She's probably still waiting now. Would you like to go see her?" Bramne asked.

Link nodded, pushing himself out of the bed more until he was standing up beside it. He quietly followed the Goron out into a room much larger than he expected. It was another large, circular domed room that was several stories high and had a large walkway twisting up the side to the top. There were a number of other doors which seemed to insinuate that this was an Inn, but the ground floor showed no reception desk or anything of the sort. Instead it was just a large space with a few torches and a stairwell leading to one last room below. Link didn't have much time to look at much else as they had already arrived at the room where Tatl was said to be. After opening the equally old wooden door, this was proven to be true.

"Link! Thank goodness you're alright." Tatl exclaimed happily, darting towards him.

The room itself was almost the same as the one Link had been sleeping in except there was no bed and a few racks placed around the side in its place. On these racks were a few weapons and other things, which Link recognised as his own, and a few other little pieces but otherwise they were bare. Tatl had flown off one of the racks and was now fluttering about in front of Link's face.

"You were out for ages. I wasn't sure if you were still alive or not. You were just lying there and-"

"Tatl." Link said, stopping her.

"Oh, sorry. I was going on for a bit, huh." Tatl shyly responded.

There was a somewhat awkward silence that followed with nobody saying anything. Bramne broke it by bringing up the topic of food and how they must both be hungry. Tatl had already been offered something while Link was out but felt she could have something else seeing as Link was going to eat as well. After being led down to the bottom floor below the main circular room, there were a number of tables and chairs with a few Gorons already eating through a pile of rocks in front of them. Fortunately, there was also some meat and other edible foods so they both politely and hungrily ate what they had.

During their meal Bramne went into a bit more detail on where they were and of their current situation. The large building was actually the Elder's home but also the home to others who were not so fortunate due to current conditions. As Bramne explained, Snowhead was enveloped in an eternal winter with the snows around their home never ending. It was always cold, the winds were harsh and it was all having a drastic effect on everyone who was only just able to get by. That's why the Elder allowed those people to stay in his home until they felt better.

"Unfortunately, we have not seen the elder for nearly two days now." Bramne finished.

"He's not here?" Tatl asked, "Why?"

"At first, he only meant to go out to an underground hot-spring to get hot water for those who needed it, but doing this never takes more than a few hours. We first assumed he was late because the weather got worse but when a day passed with no sign, we know something had happened."

"So why not send a search party?" Link asked.

"We already have, but we still haven't been able to find him." Bramne grew quiet after that, thinking of the elder and if he would ever return. "Still, you have not yet said why you have come here in the first place. If you wish for goods, you should know we are happy to bring them to you."

"We wish to enter the temple on these peaks."

There was a slight clatter of things as every Goron turned to look at Link as if he was crazy. Link gave them a glare to shut them up and see their expression, but they quickly hid their faces once they had been seen.

"The Snowhead Temple? What reason would you have to want to go there?" Bramne asked, saying what the other Gorons would not. Link thought for a short moment on how much he should tell this Goron. He did not need to know everything, but just enough.

"There is something there that I need, and I must get it before the morning of the carnival." Link explained, remembering the carnival by looking at a clock on the wall.

Bramne seemed to understand the request, but started pacing back and forth trying to decide what to do. It had recently been proven that trying to go there could result in death, yet this boy seemed so determined and…different.

"There seems to be more to you than any of us can see, so we will not stop you."

Tatl let out a sigh of relief knowing this temple would be easier to get to than the Deku temple.

"There is, however," Bramne continued, "one thing I would like to show you before you attempt such a task. You are not likely to get anything else accomplished at this late hour of the day so I would say now is a good time."

Link nodded in agreement. "Show me what I must see."

Leaving the remnants of his meal behind, Link and Tatl followed the Goron out of the cellar and went to get some warmer clothing. Still wearing his green tunic, Link now wore a large brown furry coat that covered nearly all of his body. He kept his boots on as they were enough to keep his feet warm and silently followed the Goron out.

From the outside, Link was able to get a better look at the village and the buildings were like nothing he had ever seen. They had the rounded tops he saw when drawing near, but from them they spiralled out to create rounded shapes which curved back in towards the bottom. It was a wonder how Gorons, a race who prefer living underground in a network of caves, could live in these kinds of buildings and conditions, but Link already knew that they weren't doing it well. Bramne had explained that.

Still, it was unnervingly empty. Nobody outside to scout the area, no young children playing in the snow, there was nothing. They were all inside keeping warm and always hoping for spring to come. Hoping that the hero of their people would still come through and save them all. The silence was just too much, and yet, Link followed on without making a sound, feeling pity while also not caring.

He was still confused about what to feel since the battle with Odolwa. It had opened his eyes to how dark he had been acting, but that was all it did. Link was still uncertain of a right way to act or if what he was feeling was good, but he now knew wrong and would try to avoid it when possible. It would be wrong to relish in the misfortune of these Gorons, but what, then, was the right thing to do? Comfort them? Leave them to their hopes or sorrows? He didn't know. He just silently followed one who may be leading him to the answer.

The small group had now just left the village where Link noticed there were a few caves in the wall of a cliff. It seemed some Gorons did still live underground, but they looked so poorly carved that the houses seemed a much better place to be. One cave disproved this theory with a neat look to it and a large sign over the top saying "Big Smithy's workshop". Link guessed this may be where his sword was, but decided to leave it for a later time.

The chain of caves stopped after that as the cliff backed away leaving a pass that lead to a large plain all covered in snow. There was also what might have been a river running through, but the conditions of the mountain were so cold that it had completely frozen over. Bramne ignored this and turned to follow the wall and one last cavern. This one seemed to be held more highly than the others as it was cut cleanly in a square shape and boarded with wood around the edges. It was here that Bramne had led them to.

"This is what I have brought you to see. Enter, and you shall see the dangers the Snowhead Temple presents." Bramne explained.

Link nodded silently with Tatl resting back on his shoulders to give her frozen wings a break. Upon entering the cave, it became much warmer partly because there was little wind here, but also because there was a wafting heat flowing through to the outside. The passage in didn't last long until it opened out into a large circular room, much like the homes of the Gorons, with a large stone slab in the middle of the room.

Looking around at the number of stalactites, Link slowly made his way to the lone slab in the middle to see what was so special about it that required him to see it. On closer inspection, there were words engraved on it.

"So whatever we need to know about the temple should be written on here." Link said.

"I guess. Let me read it."

Tatl got up and hovered across so she could read the words on the stone. She said them out as she read.

"'Here lies Darmani; a friend, a brother, a hero. Through all his valiant and selfless acts, his body now rests within the Temple of Snowhead where its trials were too much for him. We will miss you always and forever hope you obtain eternal peace.' This is a grave."

"A grave showing even a Goron hero could not overcome the tasks within the temple. This is what Bramne wanted us to see." Link realised.

Link closed his eyes to show peace and respect for the dead while also thinking of a way to next do things. He opened them again and turned where he leaped in surprise to see a pale white figure of a Goron standing right behind him.

"Link? What's- Ah! A ghost!" Tatl screamed.

The ghostly figure seemed confused at the sudden outburst of the two characters, but when it realised they were referring to him, he suddenly smiled.

"You can see me? Oh happy days!" The ghost cried out.

"Are we the first to be able to see you?" Link asked, wondering if this was the thing they needed to see and not the grave.

"You can hear me too! Oh this is a blessing. Yes, you are the first to notice I am here."

Link and Tatl both took a moment to get a good look of this ghost. It was, indeed, a Goron, and one much stronger-looking than any other Link had ever seen. What struck out the most, though, were the large sideburns on either side of his face. Tatl seemed to be able to piece it all together quite quickly.

"Are you…Darmani?" Tatl asked.

"Yes, I am. I suppose you gathered that from my grave."

Darmani's voice became softer as he spoke until it was just a small muttering. The happiness he had when discovering others could sense him had gone, making room for the sadness of re-realising the fact that he was dead. Link looked back at the grave to see the line Tatl had said before asking.

"You braved the trials of the Snowhead Temple?"

"Tried to," Darmani said, sadly, "my people are too modest and assume much. I didn't even manage to enter the temple. I died before I could cross the pass."

Link tried to imagine what the weather must be like, or the pass itself for that matter, but imagining the Goron there put another thought into his mind.

"What were you hoping to do in the temple?" Link asked.

Darmani didn't respond immediately. Instead he floated back towards the mouth of the cave and stopped when the open mountain came into view.

"Look outside. Look around you. What do you see?"

Tatl floated along with Darmani while Link followed slowly behind. The Gorons that had come with him were not in sight as they were either around the corner or had gone home. All that could be seen was the white ground.

"I see snow." Tatl started, "the snow, and the cold coat the entire mountain."

"I see despair, a longing for life that may never come." Link said.

Darmani sighed again, floating back into the warmth he could not feel and rested by the foot of his grave. As the other two followed him back in, he began the tale of the mountain's doom.

"All you see has a single source. Some time ago a strange being with a mask came to our mountain and entered the temple. We don't know what he did or how he did it, but ever since his arrival, snow fell and temperatures dropped. Eventually, the whole mountain was covered in snow and it's been the same since, maybe worse. I tried to enter the temple and undo whatever this being did, but alas, I failed."

Tatl, having heard the skull kid did this, pulled Link over to a side to try and get some things sorted out in her mind.

"Link, he says he saw the skull kid a long time ago. That can't be right because he was with us!"

"Tatl, that mask was doing what it could to control the skull kid. Perhaps it found one moment to do just this." Link suggested.

"But it's still not possible. I made sure I was watching all the time! He wouldn't have time to go and do all this."

"Did you sleep? Surely you did, and so there is the time. If anything, this confirms our location. Majora was attempting to seal the giants so he could make his return. If he ventured to this temple, then there must be a giant there worth sealing. We have to go, despite the dangers."

Tatl sighed. "I know. Alright, let's see if Darmani can lead us."

Pulling out of their hushed conversation, Link explained their need to go to the temple to Darmani and asked if he could lead their way.

"You want me to help you?" Link nodded. "I doubt I would be of much use. Look at me now, I have failed my people. I have failed myself, and I would probably fail you too. I just need time to heal."

Link sadly bowed his head, knowing he was not likely to get help from here or directions from any other Goron. They all seemed too scared, and with obvious reason. Expressing his thanks, he turned to leave. Tatl started to follow, when it suddenly hit her.

"…Time to heal. Wait!" Tatl shouted, darting back into the cave as Darmani was about to leave. "Wait, please. What if we could heal you?" Tatl asked.

"Heal me? Are you suggesting you could restore my life?"

Link had turned back and stood by Tatl's side, realising where she was going with this.

"I don't know exactly, but we can help with the pain you're feeling. It's a song with a strange magic that has helped us once before. Please, if you just trust us then I promise you nothing bad will come of it." Tatl explained.

Link winced at the word trust, but was also glad to see that Darmani looked willing to try this out. It seemed obvious, though, as anyone in his position may be willing to try anything out.

"I trust your words, kind fairy."

Gently floating, Darmani closed his eyes to await whatever kind of healing came his way. Link placed the Ocarina of Time to his lips and began playing the long, slow notes associated with the song of healing. Being in the cave seemed to magnify the sounds of the notes and, unbeknownst to Link, carried them outside to the other Gorons who had stayed behind. The melody continued to play as it even put Link at ease, like it had before. Darmani seemed to flicker in and out of focus as the magic of the song and the ocarina took its effect.

_The dank surroundings of his grave had left him. All Darmani could now see was a white fog suspended all around him. Fumbling forwards seemed to only find him more fog so he gave up and stood still, not sure what this meant. Had he moved on to whatever there was after death? Another world, perhaps? Whatever it was, it hadn't healed the pain in his heart and began to feel a fool to believe anyone could help him._

_Suddenly, a noise._

_It was faint at first, but it gradually grew louder as Darmani tried to find the source of it. It sounded like…cheering? That couldn't possibly be. He had failed everyone, why would they cheer him? Still, he pressed onwards trying to find what was making this growing sound. Pulling what he thought might have been the fog away from his side, he saw it. All the Gorons of his people were there together, waiting for Darmani to appear and cheer him on._

_He hadn't succeeded in saving them, yet they still cheered regardless. His friends, his neighbours, they were all there giving him their full support. Then he saw another face right at the back. Hauled up on the shoulders of his father sat the small body of Jack that he so dearly loved. Compared to the rest of the Gorons, he was cheering the most and had the biggest smile to let Darmani know he was so proud of all his efforts._

"_Your cheers," Darmani managed to say, choked slightly by the tears that now ran down his face, "they all mean so much to me."_

_The Gorons had slowed their cheers so that they may hear the words of their hero._

"_I thought I had failed you, but I have not. I simply have yet to succeed, and succeed I shall!"_

_The cheers arose again. Right at the back, Jack was smiling broadly again, but behind him now stood another. Darmani could make out the face of Link, the boy who still stood by his grave and playing the song that had brought him here._

"_I shall help you."_

_Nodding in acceptance, Link disappeared as did the rest of the crowd. Raising his arms up high, Darmani let out all his strength to do whatever he could to save his people._

"I shall help you."

The last words of Darmani echoed through the cave, which was followed by a clank when something wooden hit the floor. Moving the ocarina away from his mouth and opening his eyes Link saw that Darmani the ghost was no more. Instead, Darmani now existed as a mask which would be the source of the clank sound. Picking up the mask, Link stared at it for a moment to take in what he had done. The song had healed another troubled soul and turned it into a mask, just as the Mask Man had said the song would do.

The light of Tatl, who now fluttered next to him, broke his gaze and brought him back to the cave. Knowing what he could now do, Link placed the mask in his invisible pack and turned to the snowy path that had brought him here; the snow that covered the entire mountain. The mountain he was now out to save.


	14. Chapter 14: Mountain of Remorse

**Chapter 14: Snows of Remorse**

After coming out of the cave, Link had to explain to the other Goron's that the song he had played was a tribute to Darmani and had hoped to grant him peace. He also explained that he still had to go to the temple and nothing could be said to change his mind. Realising this, Bramne gave in but would not allow Link to go until he had had a night's rest to recover from his obvious exhaustion.

The growing darkness of night proved it to be getting late, so Link complied as he followed the other Goron's back to the Elder's home. They let him stay in the small room he was in earlier to which he gave his thanks, lay down on the bed and, as soon as it was clear, took out the newly obtained Goron mask.

"So Darmani's spirit should be in this mask, then?" Tatl said.

"It should be, but I can't hear him," Link replied.

"What do you mean?"

Turning to sit on the bed instead of lying back, Link fingered with the mask and took another look at it. It actually didn't look anything special. It didn't have the sideburns that Darmani had or the same facial features, just a face of your average Goron with a smile.

"With Dreek, I can speak to him through my mind even when I'm not wearing him. With Darmani, I don't think I can."

"Well, maybe you have to connect to him first. You know, wear him," Tatl suggested.

Thinking the somewhat obvious idea through, Link tested out the theory and placed the mask in front of his face. As with the Deku mask, there was a slight surge of pain as his body adjusted to the new shape. After the short transformation there now stood the tall, strong shape of the Goron Darmani in place of Link. Now that he had a physical form, you could see he had a scar across his chest that was once made by a large Wolfos in his earlier years.

_Darmani, can you hear me?_ Link asked telepathically.

"Wh-what is this? Where am I?" Darmani looked around in confusion until his gaze found Tatl. "You…you are that fairy from my cave. Where am I now and…am I alive again?" He asked, noticing his non-ghostly appearance.

"Uhh, sort of," Tatl answered, almost as equally confused as Darmani was. "Your spirit lives on in a mask and, when worn, you become as you are now."

"But this body, surely it is my own. My scar-"

_This is your body only in the vaguest sense._ Link began. _It is my body, only changed into another that is similar to what yours once was. I wore your spirit infused mask and now we are one._

"I am still confused. Who are you that speaks to my mind, and how are you doing it?"

"Oh great, another one sided conversation." Tatl sighed, not able to hear Link's words. She fluttered over to the small table by the bed and stretched out on it. "Tell me when you're done, Link. I'm kinda tired and wouldn't mind going to sleep soon."

Darmani, ever more confused by Tatl's use of the word 'again', instead closed his eyes in the hopes that it would make this voice more clear or perhaps put a body to it. To his dismay, all it did was close his eyes and make him see nothing.

_If my voice does not make me recognisable, perhaps my appearance would. I am the boy in green clothes, the one who played the song to cure you. _Link paused a moment, allowing the thoughts of Darmani, which Link could read, process this new information. _I am the one you pledged to help, and this is how you can._

"By completing the trials of the temple,"

_Yes._

"It may be dangerous, but I gave you my word, so I shall help. When do we depart?"

_Tomorrow; we rest for tonight so that we may be fully prepared._

"Alright, but is it possible to reverse this? I am supposed to be dead and if I were seen, there would be too many questions that I would rather not answer right now."

_Neither would I.…Good night Darmani._

"Good night, um…"

"Link," Tatl filled in.

"Thank you. Good night Link."

Link gently pulled the mask off which returned him to his Hylian form once more. He sat down on the bed then turned to the table where Tatl and the gas lamp were sitting.

"So, how's Darmani? Good?" Tatl asked.

"He seems to be fine. He just needs time to adjust to his new way of being. It looks like we all could use a night's rest."

"Oh, yes. With what we've been through today, never again will sleep feel so good." Getting comfortable on her makeshift bed, she turned to Link again and whispered a "Good night, Link," before quickly falling asleep.

Link stared at her for a moment, at the peaceful image of another fairy friend, and then managed to break his gaze by remembering the Goron mask. Placing it back with the other masks in his pack, he placed a hand over the lamp and blew out the flame. Much the same as Tatl, as soon as Link laid down beneath the covers of the bed, he fell asleep with what could possibly be guessed as a smile on his face.

Hours passed as the sun set behind the mountain tops, the cold claimed the land and forced all the local inhabitants to return home for their own rest. Soon, every Goron was asleep in the relatively warm confines of their homes and spending the night constantly hoping for something to answer their prayers and save their home. For a time, there was peace all through the village, but was broken in the middle of the night when a young child began crying.

This night seemed especially graceful to the Gorons as the crying did not disturb their sleep. Except, that is, for one Goron who would always awaken at the sound of this child crying. If he had eyes right now, Darmani would have opened them the instant he heard the faint sobbing.

_Jack?_

Unaware that his words could only be heard by Link, and that by speaking it was assured that he heard them, Link slowly stirred to Darmani's silent voice.

"_Darmani; what is it?"_ Link asked, still half asleep.

_Don't you hear it? That crying,_

They both fell silent so that Link could hear the occasional shudder of sadness echo through across the cold walls of the building. At first, Link didn't hear it, but waited a moment more and found the same sound Darmani had.

_I know who that is. Please, let me go to him._ Darmani pleaded.

As an act of appeasement, and also seeing there was little risk of wandering the halls at night, Link transformed once again into the Goron form and let Darmani seize control to go where he wanted to go.

Confirming Link's guess, no other Gorons were roaming the house which was proven further by the sound of content snoring coming from the various rooms. The soft crying was coming from the highest room which seemed to, from below, have a more elaborate entrance to it than any of the other rooms. Being the Goron Elder's home, Link guessed that it belonged to the Elder himself. As Bramne had said earlier, though, the Elder was not home.

Reaching the top of the spiral ledge led them to a long ornate carpet that extended the length of the highest level and into a room beyond a pair of red velvet curtains. Treading carefully so as to not make much sound, Darmani moved on to the carpet and pulled aside the curtains to reveal a nicely decorated room. By the entrance there were two torches, only one of which was lit so it created a dim light to see, but not so bright as to prevent sleep. The walls were the same stone as the rest of the building, but painted in lines of various colours to make the room seem livelier. At the far end was a stone crib where the source of the crying was coming from.

Lying in the crib was a small Goron that was probably not much older than five or six years old. Tears slowly slid down the side of his young face as he used his small hands to try and wipe them off. Darmani slowly moved towards the upset child and whispered hushing sounds to alert him to his presence, then knelt down in front of him.

"Hush, little Jack. There's no need to cry." Darmani said in a surprisingly soothing voice.

The child looked up from his sobbing and moved his hands away from his face so that he could see who it was talking to him. When he saw Darmani's face, his crying subsided as he was more surprised to see Darmani than be upset.

"D-Darmy?" Jack asked, still shuddering slightly.

"Yes, it's me. What's the matter?"

For a moment, it looked like Jack would start sobbing again, but he managed to gain some control and held back the tears to explain.

"Daddy is missing. I miss him."

"The Elder; when did this happen?" Darmani asked, not having seen Link's thoughts to discover for himself.

"A few days after you left; he went to the hot springs to get some more water, but he hasn't been back…and I miss him."

Jack started crying again, softly this time, with tears running down his face once more. Before he had the chance to bury his face in his hands again, Darmani wiped the tear away himself and looked sternly into Jack's eyes.

"There, there, don't cry, Jack. It's going to be alright. I'll find him for you."

"R-really?"

"I promise."

Another tear rolled down Jack's cheek, but he rubbed it away himself. His face turned from one of sadness to one of hope and determination as he sat up and looked back at Darmani.

"Alright, then I'll stay here and be strong. I won't cry anymore, I'll just wait and do what I can in Daddy's place." Jack said firmly.

"That-a boy. Now, it's late. Go back to sleep. I'll start looking in the morning."

Receiving a smile, Darmani got up and moved to go back to his room, but stopped when he heard Jack's voice again.

"Darmy, could you play my lullaby? It feels like I haven't heard it in so long."

Darmani smiled. "Sure."

Picking up a set of drums on one of the shelves, Darmani set them on the floor and sat down behind them to start playing. Softly beating the drums, the calm melody flowed through the room and made it one of peace and tranquillity. Jack's eyelids drooped as his thoughts returned to his missing father. As he promised, he no longer cried but instead smiled at the comforting memories of the same lullaby being played before. Before he knew it, Jack had curled up and fallen back to sleep.

"Good night, Jack." Darmani whispered, pulling a small blanket over the Goron. "Sleep well."

Leaving the small Goron to his rest, Darmani returned to Link's room and gave him his body back so that he may rest as well. Link felt ready to, still half sleep from being woke up, but also wanted to get to know this Goron better. Not wanting to be as invasive as he once was, Link asked Darmani instead of reading his thoughts while he could.

"_How are you on such good terms with the Elder's son? Are you related in some way?"_ Link asked.

_No. We are not related. When I was a young child, my family and I were attempting to make it to Clock Town for the annual festival. We were attacked by a pack of Wolfos. My parents were killed, but the Elder found me and saved me from being killed along with them. He raised me until I was strong enough to take care of myself. When that day came, I decided to stay here and live out my life protecting the man and his village that had saved me._

"_You have a high respect for him, then."_

_I do. That is why I will be looking out for him tomorrow._

"_Tomorrow is when we leave for the temple."_ Link reminded in an accusing way.

_Do not mistake me. I gave my word so I shall help you; I simply request that we look about on the way and back. Either way, we should get back to sleep. By the sounds of it, we have a long day ahead of us._

Darmani, closing his would-be eyes to sleep, didn't know just how right he was.

---

As the sun slowly rose over the top of the Ikana canyon, life came to Clock Town as people went about their business, still preparing for the festival. The Mayor, it seemed, still hadn't made up his mind yet. Regardless of this, there were still two beings that remained, and would still remain, in the centre of the large town.

One of those beings had not slept, mainly as he didn't need sleep, but also because he kept doing his job throughout the night. The other lay on the roof of the Clock tower and slowly stirred as the morning light covered his face. He half hoped that he would wake up like he had done all the other nights before, but when he was reminded of the other being's existence, he knew it wasn't so.

"Have a nice sleep?" Majora asked, tauntingly. Tael didn't answer. "You should have stayed up. There was a beautiful moon."

"It's a little difficult to stay awake when you've been knocked out by magic." Tael said dryly.

"Ah, yes, I had forgotten. Perhaps you can stay up tonight then. I hear the moon will be even bigger."

"Just what do you need the moon for, anyway, Majora? Isn't there an easier way for you to destroy everything?"

Majora gave a loud laugh before turning away from the moon that had stolen his gaze. He floated down, kneeling in front of Tael as if he was speaking to a young child.

"You poor, naïve fool. You think I live for destruction? That I yearn for nothing more than the end of all things?" Majora asked, laughing at his own words.

"If that is not your reason, then what is?" Tael continued to ask, wondering just how long this would last before he was silenced.

"Power! I yearn for the strength I once had so that I may exact my revenge."

Majora almost continued, but consciously realised he might be revealing too much, so he stopped himself. He refused to acknowledge the fairy now as he instead looked towards the mountain Link had climbed the day before. He knew a giant was there, he had made the winter spell as soon as the guardian magic no longer protected the snowy peaks.

What concerned him was if Link knew a giant was there as well. The only one who would know of the giants and have a need for their release would be the mask man, but he hadn't seen him since…not that it mattered anyway. Even if he was here, which was still impossible, he would not have the time to task the boy into releasing all four giants in three days. As far as he could see, Link was one day down and not even close to freeing one giant yet. It would be a number of times before Majora finally realised what was going on.

Unlike his once-upon-a-time idea of going down to mess with Link's plans like in Woodfall, Majora decided it would be easier and possibly smarter to stay in the same place and keep calling down the moon. Perhaps if he did, he might get ahead of schedule. This prospect delighted him, and helped make up his mind on staying and concentrating on his work.

The sun had risen on the second day. Majora smiled up at the moon which smiled back, while Tael sat on the roof of the tower, always hoping and thinking of his sister's safety.

---

As morning came to the mountain, Link awoke and, at first, had completely forgotten the events of the previous night. When the voices of Gorons could be heard, one sounding more younger than the others, he remembered what had happened and guessed Jack was now trying to explain how he had seen Darmani in the middle of the night. No doubt the others were attempting to convince him he had just been dreaming.

Pushing back the thin covers, Link saw Tatl on the table next to him, still asleep. Wanting to let her rest, but wanting to get up and locate this temple more-so, Link shook the leg of the table a little in the attempts of waking her up. He stopped when he saw the fairy stir and flicker her wings slightly, yawning at the same time.

"Oh, is it morning already?" Tatl asked in a tired daze.

"Yeah. Come on, we should make an early start." Link greeted.

Pushing herself up from the desk, she took a better look at Link who did seem ready to leave at a moment's notice.

"You're not going to rush off without breakfast again, are you?" Tatl quizzed.

A growl from Link's stomach answered the question before he had a chance to himself. Tatl giggled at the whole situation and got up to get some breakfast of her own, after waiting for Link to open the door for her. Being small had its disadvantages that Tatl knew all too well.

Taking the time, as little as he had, to get ready for the upcoming temple, Link made sure to have a big breakfast and packed away some extra food in a pouch for later which he attached to his belt. Equipping everything else he would need, such as his shield, bow and checking all his various masks were there, Link moved on to find his sword. It was different now as Bramne had said the smithy had worked on it.

At first, he was annoyed with this as it was taken without even asking and had no guarantee it would be any good, or still in one piece, but looking at it now, Link was pleased. Picking it up, the most obvious thing about it was that it was heavier and would take a little time getting used to this, but with the fine, sharp blade and a smooth, stream-lined surface, it would be something worth adjusting to.

Sheathing his new sword behind his back, Link finally checked to see Tatl was still with him, then moved out of the Elder's home and into the cold.

"Link, wait!"

Turning back to see who had called, Bramne rolled up to him and stopped just before him, holding on to something.

"You're still going, huh?" Bramne asked.

"Yes. I have to do this." Link said.

"I figured as much. Take this, then. You'll need it."

Revealing the Dodongo-hide pouch, which Link recognised all too well, Bramne passed it to him and made sure he accepted it. To confirm Link's suspicion, he opened the top to see a number of small bombs and two small pieces of flint with equally small straps attached to them.

"Where you're going, you'll need these a lot more than we will." Bramne said.

"No, we couldn't possibly." Tatl objected, seeing the number of bombs in the bag. "This snow must make it hard, if not impossible for bomb flowers to grow. We can't take from an already small pile."

Bramne smiled, almost a light laugh, at Tatl's kindness, but composed himself before talking.

"Do not worry. If you succeed, we can grow more and there will be no problem. If not, I doubt there will be much of a world for us to use them when that moon collides anyhow. Please, take them, and good luck."

Link tied the bag back up and attached it on to his belt, alongside the rest of his belongings.

"Thank you. I'll make sure these aren't wasted."

Glad to have his offer accepted, Bramne returned to the basement to serve breakfast for those who needed it, but was interrupted by Jack running around, carrying things that seemed too large for him. Shaking his head and sighing, Bramne ran off after him. Link, glad to see that Jack was trying to help as he had promised, turned to leave again.

Once outside, Link opened the bag again and took out the two pieces of flint, curious as to why they had straps on them. Tatl noticed as well and, after coming up with nothing, suggested Link should ask Darmani to see if he knew what to do with them.

_It's to help save time lighting the bombs. You place one on your thumb and the other on your forefinger, then put the fuse between the two and click._

Putting them on as instructed, Link clicked his fingers without a bomb to see how this would work. It took a couple of attempts to get used to it and make it work, but the sparks came and dropped to the floor, melting in the snow for a second.

"Wow, that's pretty clever." Tatl marvelled. Link silently agreed, "So, which way now, then?"

"Darmani?"

_Follow the main path out up to the crossroads. We go right, away from the path out. That way will eventually lead us to the temple._

"Main path, turn right. Got it," Link repeated for Tatl's sake.

"Let's go then!" Tatl said eagerly, glad to be doing something.

The start of their walk was safe and uneventful as the path led the way with no major difficulties. Due to the path being taken so often by all the other Gorons, it was padded down enough so that there wasn't much snow on top to impede their progress.

Because Darmani saw out of Link's eyes and not his own when just a mask, Link kept looking about for the Elder for him with Darmani being able to tell him to stop if he saw him or something indicating to him. Tatl noticed this, but not knowing of the search for the Elder had her thinking it was just Link being on guard in case of a sudden attack.

Time went by, though not too much time, and the split in the path soon became visible. The left turn remained padded but turned into roll tracks that would eventually lead back to Clock Town. Their right turn was more bogged down as not many dared venture towards the temple, for obvious reasons. Ignoring these reasons, Link turned down that way and immediately felt the change of effort needed to continue.

"Having a little trouble there, Link?" Tatl asked teasingly.

"None that I can't fix," Link answered back, reaching for the Goron mask.

_You want me to roll there?_

"_Only if we're not likely to be seen."_

_Let's roll, then!_

Enduring the pain again, which became less so as he grew used to it, the Hylian transformed into the Goron. Darmani took control and took a short run-up before jumping and curling into a ball so that his roll would start with a good speed. The snow was soft and easy to push to a side as he rolled and below was a path so there should be no bumps or rocks to disturb their passage, yet something felt wrong. Some ominous feeling at the back of his mind was telling Darmani that something bad was about to happen and no matter what he did, it would not go away.

For a time, nothing eventful happened which pleased Link for two reasons. First, it looked like he would finally get a short journey that wouldn't result in some kind of catastrophe or hostile nature, and secondly, he was allowed to devote his full attention to loving this new rolling experience that any child his age couldn't help but love.

What Link should have learned by now is that he would never get an uneventful journey.

_Link, stop,_

Still rolling, as Link wasn't in control and he only just heard it, Darmani became confused again at the sound of another voice that belonged to neither Link nor himself.

_Dreek?_ Link asked to be sure.

_Yes, it's me. Now stop!_

_Darmani, stop,_

Screeching to a halt on the snowy track, and losing Tatl for a moment as she continued to fly ahead before noticing, the Goron form uncurled and got up, still obviously confused.

"_Link, who is this other voice?"_

_His name is Dreek. He's a Deku spirit who inhabits a mask much like you do._ Link explained as briefly as he could, sensing the urgency in Dreek's voice.

"Hey! Why have we stopped?" Tatl shouted, annoyed at the lack of warning.

"Good question. Dreek?" Link asked aloud.

"Dreek? Oh god. I'm getting pretty tired of your silent conversations, you know."

Ignoring her complaints, Link concentrated on Dreek now and asked him briefly to explain his reasoning.

_There's something here, I can feel it, and whatever it is it's ready to attack us._

_Is it Majora? _Link asked, worried that he may try to intervene again.

_No, it's something else. Something more hostile; it's…_

Darmani had set himself as the guard while the other two spoke within himself and as a result, before Dreek had a chance to finish, he noticed something a little further down the path on the top of the frozen lake. At first, he shrugged it off as he would have done if continued rolling, but looking harder he could not deny that the shape was a familiar structure.

"…Elder?"

_What?_

_Darmani, wait, it could be a trap. _Link warned.

Ignoring the warning, or perhaps not hearing it with his own judgement blocking it out, Darmani ran towards the figure and slipped down the frosted bank. Skidding to a halt next to the icy statue, the large hunchback and thick lips turned blue by the cold fully registered in Darmani's mind and instantly set him to work at trying to free him. Tatl flew down after him, still confused with the whole situation and being a step behind. Because of this, she didn't notice the white camouflaged form silently hiding against the snow.

"Who is that?" Tatl asked, also recognising the form as an old Goron.

"It's the Elder." Link said aloud, yet not in full control of the body. Darmani retained that privilege and was using it to consistently punch at the ice with hopes of breaking the elder free.

"The Elder? Oh no. Darmani…"

She said nothing else. She couldn't do anything else except hover where she was and watch the desperate Goron throw punch after punch after punch. As cracks appeared beneath Darmani's large fist, it became more apparent to Tatl, now, that there was another noise besides that of the splitting ice, one more like snarling. Her intentions had been to slowly look around and try to locate the sound, but were quickly overridden by her instincts to fly away from a wide set of jaws set on her.

Flying back, Tatl was able to get a good, brief look at her surprise attacker and knew full well the features of a White Wolfos. The large jaws were a trademark amongst all Wolfos and also made them strong predators with teeth capable of biting through various kinds of flesh and hide. What made it a White Wolfos was the snow-coloured fur coating its entire body making it practically invisible against the surroundings if not for the blood-red eyes, the same eyes that had now turned to the large Goron that just screamed "dinner".

"Link! Look out!" Tatl screamed, unsure why she called Link's name.

Holding back the last punch set for the ice, Darmani turned to the flying beast and knocked it back across the icy surface, blood spitting out through its mangled jaw. Making the mistake of stopping to enjoy the victory, another Wolfos that all failed to see jumped from above and locked on tightly to the arm that just hit its kin. Howling in pain, Darmani did what he could to try and shake or pull the creature off, but it vehemently refused to let go. Acting on the sudden urge to do two jobs at once, Darmani swung his arm, and so the Wolfos as well, at the ice covering the Elder and shattered it, loosening the grip of the Wolfos enough for Darmani to rip it off and throw it next to the other one.

To his dismay, however, the two wounded, panting Wolfos got back to their feet and snarled maliciously with their red eyes narrowed to slits. Darmani readied himself in a fighting stance he knew all too well as a result of his training under the Elder, perhaps doing so as an honour to the watching Elder himself. At the time, though, the Elder was still frozen by the cold and only just starting to come around to a point of consciousness.

The blood dripping from Darmani's new bite wound enticed the hunger of the Wolfos as they immediately charged forward in random patterns not easily predictable. Darmani didn't care, though, as his current stance dealt with the unpredictable. The first came from the right, leaping up high with its sight set on the throat. Swinging his right fist around to meet the Wolfos, Darmani's strike hit full force on the side of the beast and sent it off course into the path of the other beast with similar sights.

Lying on the ice, not having fallen as far due to the collision, the first Wolfos reaffirmed a lock on Darmani's leg hoping to slow it down in any way it could. Enduring the pain much more than when it was a surprise to him, Darmani stepped forward and slammed his free foot down on the white body of the Wolfos; still refusing to let go of his prey. Seeing this, Darmani pushed hard into the ice and flesh beneath each foot and pressed them apart as much as he could. It moved slowly at first, but as the sound of ripping flesh grew louder, the horrific sight of blood and guts sprayed across the clear ice as the body of the White Wolfos split apart right across the chest.

Still fully alert of the other Wolfos and seeing it run and leap back up to avenge his kin, Darmani clapped two fists together and struck down with all his strength on the top of the long skull, crushing it to pieces on impact. The limp body fell to his feet next to the other fallen foe and failed to move, even when kicked just to be sure. With a sigh of relief that it wasn't much worse, Darmani turned to meet the failed stuttering of words behind him.

"D-d-d-d-Darmani?"

Running as fast as he could across the ice, Darmani pulled the Elder out of the ice and held onto his large back to keep him from falling. Now that he had a chance to look closer, the Elder looked incredibly pale for a Goron and his teeth were loudly chattering beneath his swollen blue lips.

"Elder! It's ok, I'm here to help." Darmani answered, never looking away from the Elder's cold face.

"I'm d-d-dying, D-Darmani," The Elder managed to say, his icy coating showing its effects on him.

"No, don't say that. I can carry you to the hot springs. We can warm you up and you'll be fine, you'll make it."

Darmani started to head back to the bank, to put his plan into action, but was stopped instantly by the freezing touch of a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm f-f-f-fine with this. It is a f-f-fitting end, being saved b-b-by you on this t-t-t-trail from w-w-w-Wolfos."

"Elder," was all Darmani could say.

Snow started gently falling from the sky, littering itself across the frozen lake and all upon it. Flakes fell upon the Elder's still blue lips, but did not stay long as the chattering of his teeth soon shook them off. Droplets of ice joined them from Darmani's tears as they quickly froze from the cold while he also started shuddering, shaking his own flakes of snow off.

"C-could you l-l-l-look after Jack f-f-for me?" The Elder weakly asked.

"And the whole tribe," Darmani answered, trying to put on a smile. "In your name I shall never fail them again."

Where Darmani could not, the Elder now had a warm smile on his face despite his quivering lower lip.

"Thank you. I'm…so p-p-proud…of you…"

The snow fell harder as the old Goron slowly stopped moving. His lips ceased to quiver, both eyes closed and his arms became limp as the kind, loved Elder died in peace.

Still holding on to his back, Darmani eased him down so that he lay comfortably on the ice. Under the white rain of the mountain, Darmani crossed his arms and lay across the Elder's motionless body, weeping his frozen tears.


	15. Chapter 15: The Frozen Temple

**Chapter 15: The Frozen Temple**

A long and painful time passed since the Elder had died in Darmani's arms. At the end of that time, Darmani finally regained some composure and pushed himself back up off the frozen structures of lake and Goron alike. Refusing to leave his adopted father out in the damning cold, Darmani picked up the Elder in both arms and carried him the short quarter-mile distance to the hot springs.

The hot springs themselves were located in a small cave just off shore of the now-frozen lake. There wasn't much to it other than the cave just like any other with the back end half-filled with the hot water steaming out of the crevice it seeped through. What little light made it through reflected off the surface and decorated the dull, stone walls in a variety of colours, and with the steam of the water changing and mixing the light, it made the sight a thing of natural beauty.

Walking in slowly upon this splendour, Darmani found an appropriate spot right by the water's edge and laid the Elder there to rest. Taking a step back to look at the new scene, a single tear fell from the brave face and would then be known as the last tear he would shed. From then on, his resolve would not be to cry or to mourn, but to be proud and strong and to make sure that his promise to look after the tribe would never be broken.

"Rest in peace; brave Elder of our tribe."

A moment of silence hung in the air. Darmani bowed his head and for that time, nothing happened. The cold wind still blew, the warm steam wafted through and for this moment of sanctity, nothing happened. Eventually raising his head and somehow managing to turn away from the Elder, Darmani looked back at the snowy mountain and at Tatl who was waiting just outside.

"Now come!" Darmani declared, "The temple awaits!"

Despite the snow and her own glow camouflaging her expression, Tatl's face and being was that of concern.

"Darmani, are you sure? We don't have to leave right now."

"Tatl, thank you for your concern, but I gave Link my word. This is something we all have to do." Darmani answered solemnly.

Before a response came to her, the memory of thinking Tael was dead resurfaced. In the back of her mind, she knew he wasn't truly dead as they would have to go back to when he was alive, but even so she was devastated. Darmani has the escape of the temple as something to do and take his mind off of things, but even if they went back, the Elder would still be frozen and die no matter what they tried. He needed this, and there was nothing she could do to help.

"…I understand," Tatl answered weakly, "Let's go."

With no further words necessary, Darmani returned to the roughly trodden path and began rolling once again in the direction of the temple.

On their silent journey up the remaining stretch, the snow continued to fall and subtly increased. When they were just a few hundred yards from the clearing to the temple, it was practically a downpour having already covered their previous tracks with no sign of letting up. Having lost most of his momentum due to being bogged down by too much snow, Darmani was forced to uncurl and walk the rest of the way.

"Don't worry, we're almost there."

"Darmani," Tatl started, then checked herself and stopped. When Darmani looked back to hear, though, Tatl continued anyway. "Darmani, you say you died before getting into the temple. Why is that?"

_A good question._ Link thought.

Darmani ignored the question at first, walking on again instead. Tatl instantly regretted asking, but less so when Darmani stopped at the clearing and raised an arm at what lay ahead.

"That's why."

Spanning for what must have been a half-mile diameter, a roughly circular gorge filled the peak of the mountain, cliff-sides of snow making it impossible to enter save this one entrance. Resting squarely in the centre, held up by a giant column of stone and snow, was the Snowhead Temple, shooting off in various directions with massive towers of ice, or at least, that's what it looked like. Stretching across the gaping abyss, connecting the path to the temple, was a single straight path covered in snow.

The path, it seemed, was what Darmani was pointing at. It was long, and narrow. With Darmani's large Goron build he could only just stand up straight with very little extra room, but that itself wouldn't be possible due to the high gale winds blowing and the sheet of ice resting beneath the foot-deep length of snow.

"You fell."

"Yes."

The winds howled over the would-be silence carrying with it the constant hail and snow in all directions save towards the temple. To be here and see the sight, it would not take long to establish the cold was coming from the temple and spreading outwards. Taking a breath of his own, Darmani set a firm gaze on the temple in front of him and set a foot forward to tackle it, yet found the other foot would not follow.

"Whoa, wait," Link cried out, somewhat unintentionally, "you're going?"

"Of course. I have to do this."

"Despite having just admitted that you failed here the last time. How do you know this attempt will be different?"

"I don't, but there is no other alternative."

"Yes there is. I go."

It took a moment for Darmani to understand the difference. It was the same body after all, and he couldn't have meant turning back into his human form. Despite the warm clothing, he wouldn't last long enough to make it even half way. When Link moved the other foot to stand firm next to the first one, then he saw the meaning.

"Link, this makes no sense. I am more adjusted to this body than you are, I know where I previously failed and how to correct it, and most importantly, I can do this. Please, just trust me."

Trust me. The words echoed through Link's mind, reliving all the previous times of betrayal and broken promises. Darunia, his sworn brother, who had pledged to help at any time, and Saria, who had always been there for him were both gone. The dark side to him that he trusted, believing that it knew what was best for Link only to try and kill him the moment it was free. It wasn't the fact that there was no reason to trust Darmani, but that it was still difficult to trust anyone at all.

"...I'm sorry."

Link marched forward through the snow, now completely shutting Darmani out from any form of control. There was still at least another few feet before the ledge they were on turned into the narrow pass, yet it was already proving itself difficult just to reach that due to the incredible force of the wind and hail. Tatl, seemingly immune to the hail but less so to the wind, did her best to keep alongside the Goron Link and realising, perhaps, just why even a Goron hero would fail at this point.

"Tatl, how fast can you move through this wind?" Link asked, not letting his focus or body move away for an instant.

"Slowly, but I could probably beat you across."

"Good. Fly out to the side and keep watching the ice. If it looks like it starts to crack, tell me."

Doing as told, Tatl stayed level with Link about twenty yards out to get a good wide view. Fortunately, the ice below still looked stable and in no immediate danger, and the whole pass looked quite thick with all the snow on top, but watching the heavy Goron feet fall straight through and nearly meet the ice wasn't any kind of comfort at all.

With the lack of any immediate danger to focus on, her thoughts wandered back to Link and what he might be going through. She felt like she knew the reason, or part of it, from what she had already heard of his past and wasn't sure whether to agree with it or not. For her own reasons, she slowly found herself an understanding. She had trusted the skull kid, and look where that led to. Her entire people had trusted the Great Fairies and that created a civil war.

Still, there was always the other side to the coin. It wasn't the skull kid who betrayed them, but Majora's influence on him, and whether they had trusted the Great Fairies or not, they still would have acted as they did and make the war happen anyway. It was a difficult feeling to comprehend and give. Perhaps this was what Link was thinking.

If, however, he had the time, then he would. Instead his thoughts were far more intent on getting him across the pass. He was close to obtaining a method as to where to place his new sturdy feet, but the wind would always move him about slightly every time his legs left the freezing grip of the snow around it. No doubt that even though he had the strong and enduring physique of a Goron, the cold and ice and snow was impossible to ignore as it piled up on him making an already heavy form even heavier. A sudden sound quickly got his full attention as his body froze, perhaps in more ways than one.

"Tatl?" Link fearfully shouted.

"It's ok. I can't see anything. Just the crunching of snow."

It didn't help to set his fears at ease. He was just about halfway across now and the wind and snow were getting intense. His vision was effectively white with snow and hail. It took all available strength at hand just to make a single step without shaking too much and missing. The end was nowhere in sight and if he had got this far in near silence, any sound was not a good sound.

Another foot fell forwards into the snow, straight through to the silky ice below. As he had done all previous times, Link stayed still for just a moment to let his weight settle and plot his next move. Thinking he was currently safe, he lifted his other foot out of the snow allowing all his weight to rest where it probably shouldn't have, proven true by another and much louder sound.

All stood still.

A half-buried foot floated in place, questioning whether to go back and be safe or press on and away, the fluttering wings watched from afar with no idea how to act, and the minutely thin line creaked and stretched and grew until all around knew that their luck had run out.

"Link! Run!"

The last step turned into a launching push as Link curled up tight and began rolling as fast as he could. Accepting the race, the thin crack tore the path in two and pulled more of it down just as quickly as the Goron was fleeing, the smooth trench of snow left by Link getting shorter by the second. The wind and hail didn't matter now. Sure, it was still threatening to blow him off, but if Link dared slow down by even the smallest of margins he was certain to fall to the collapsing bridge.

By some miracle, the path suddenly sloped upwards sending an unaware speeding ball up and straight into the side of the majestic temple. Slowly recovering from the back-breaking collision, Link tried to establish just what had happened in the last blur of his life.

First, he happily established that he was now on solid ground, or ice, strong enough to support him easily. This quickly led to realising he had made it, with the temple standing incredibly tall in front of him. Also, the wind had stopped. He had no idea just when it had, and had no intention of venturing back out to try and discover where, but he was now in the eye of the storm and glad to not be in any immediate danger. Finally, he now had a splitting headache.

"Link? Link! Are you ok?"

At first, Link actually couldn't hear Tatl's cries of concern due to being so shook up from spinning around so fast only to come to a sudden, painful, stop. Giving his head a quick shake, sight and sound came into focus and the, now not-so-cold, surroundings became clear.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Link confirmed, shaking an arm and a leg just to see if they were still there.

"Oh thank goodness. You really had me worried back there."

There was silence for a short moment. Both were short on breath and wanted to look around themselves to see what now lay here. It was still essentially snow and ice all around as the wide ledge they were now on circled the entire outside of the temple, the entrance of which they would soon find on the other side. What stopped them from searching straight away was the fact that the path they just crossed to get there had completely crumbled away.

There was no way back.

After a moment of thought, trying to see if there was any other way off, Link set off deciding it was not currently important and that maybe something inside the temple could lead them back down the mountain. Either way, nothing could be done now so the next guardian came out top of the list.

A winding slope wound round the outside revealing the entrance about a short distance off the ground, yet the thirty foot drop and ten times that above gave the indication that this was not going to be as easy as Woodfall. Once inside, it grew slightly warmer again with the comfort of walls and little back-draft so link dared to take off the Goron mask and go in as a human for now. He still had on the warm furs Bramne had given him as well as the bomb bag and flint pieces still on his fingers.

Now somewhat adjusted Link caught up with what Tatl had been doing by looking around and checking out the entrance to the temple. It was a simple room to start with, nothing too extravagant or flashy, with a few columns of ice making a narrower path down to another small room. This one was slightly larger than the first and equally unexciting save a single door at the end alike to those in the Woodfall temple and deep below Clock Town. Pressing against it, the door slid up and revealed the reason why the outside looked so tall.

The roof, at this point in time, was nowhere in sight. The walls towered up with ledges and paths sticking to them at various heights yet always leaving the centre untouched and empty from top to bottom. Well, almost the bottom as Link's current floor held a huge hexagonal shape etched with strange carvings and symbols all over. The edges touched a number of paths that all lead to other doors while a lower level hung below it with nothing but barren earth, to Link's surprise.

"Whoa," was all Tatl could say.

"Yeah"

Snapping himself away from his gaze, Link crossed the deceptively large room to a door on the other side. There was no guide this time, nobody who knew the temple inside out, so Link was relying on luck or a trial-and-error method to eventually find the beast that was causing the winter and keeping the Giant trapped.

The door slid open to another dull room. Walls of stone stretched down the long corridor in a jagged formation with statues of ice being the only decoration. The door quickly closed behind him, and after taking only a few steps in, he stopped.

"It's cold in here," Link said.

"Yeah, you're right."

"It shouldn't be."

Link shushed Tatl before she said anything else. Slowly, he started moving again while keeping a constant watch around him and at the statues. As he passed, a pair of crystal eyes opened. Gliding along the floor, leaving a trail of mist behind it, an icy figure drew out a frozen arm and without a sound, gripped firmly onto Link's right arm.

"Hahhh!"

Link's cry was quick and pained, more due to the sudden cold and ice now growing out of the statue and covering his arm. In a flash, Link drew his sword out and sliced the creature in half, the new blade effortlessly falling through the ice, but the victory was short lived as another statue came from behind and grabbed his other arm.

"Tatl, Goron mask. Quickly!"

Snapping his arm free of the grip, Link slashed the other statue apart only to be met by two more from ahead. Whilst not covered in ice, the freezing touch had already slowed it and if left alone, he would be overwhelmed, which was why he needed Tatl to get the mask. Getting it himself would leave him open and completely frozen before it could reach his face.

Tatl quite clearly had the more difficult task, trying to get into an invisible pack and hope she could find the right mask. After some rummaging, more statues falling and others re-forming, Tatl pulled out the mask and tossed it out being too heavy to carry.

Within the next instant, Link dropped his sword to catch the mask and swing it round to his face. The ice on his arm shattered under the pressure of the much larger and stronger Goron arm and before Link even had a chance to move, Darmani swung a fist down on the remaining statues leaving nothing but chips of ice everywhere. They would reform, but not for some time as opposed to those wounded by a single slice.

"We should get out of here," Tatl suggested.

Link agreed, taking the mask off again then following Tatl to the end of the room and some stairs. Rubbing his arms to try and establish feeling again, Link turned to Darmani while climbing the high staircase.

"_You were quick to take control,"_ Link said with an obvious discomfort in his tone.

_You were in trouble; I was there, so I did what I could to help._ Darmani defended.

"_I didn't ask for your help, and I didn't need it, only your form."_

_Please, why can't I help you?_

Link slowed down. Tatl didn't notice as she had gone ahead to the top.

"_...Because it's hard."_

Reaching the top of the stairs, another similar room to that of below now stood ahead of them, but fortunately there were no statues in this one. Regardless, Link kept a wary hand near his sword and a constant watch for whatever might lurk in this place. Tatl assigned herself the role of secondary lookout while Darmani was left to fester on his troubles.

This boy was unlike any other he had seen. The brief display with such a sword showed remarkable skill for his age and who else could bring the dead back to life...in a manner of speaking. Of course, there was also the emotional turmoil Link seemed to be going through. If only he knew what he was going through, then he might be able to help, or at least have a better understanding and tread more carefully. Instead, Link kept it to himself and wouldn't allow any others in.

_Darmani, can you hear me?_

_...yes,_ Darmani answered, still sceptical of another voice.

_My name is Dreek. I'm a, or rather was, a Deku from the Woodfall realm. You need to learn about Link._

This could not have come at a better time. Though, the way in which he said he was a Deku wasn't encouraging, as it lent him no form of living on after this either. There would be time to think on this later. For now, he needed to know about Link.

_Do you think he can hear us?_ Darmani asked.

_Somehow, I don't think so. We're safe, if that's what you're thinking._

_So what do I need to know about Link, then?_

_He's been through a lot, _Dreek started, _He's lost a lot of people he's cared about and been made to do things that no other person could do. He lost his childhood innocence and has very good reason for hating the world and parts of the divine that come with it. He has improved since then, however, and is gradually returning to the way he should be, but it will still take time._

_How do you know all this?_

_Let's just say we got off on the wrong foot, but right now, Link needs to get through this on his own. Your actions only mean good, I can see that, but at the same time you're trying to force him to believe in you, and being forced into anything is the one thing Link hates above all else. Let him make his own mistakes._

_So I am to simply sit back and watch him suffer through life? _Darmani questioned, hints of a temper rising.

_For now, yes._

_Well I can't. I have always been taught to help another when they are in any kind of pain. I will be gentle, as you seem to suggest, but I will not ignore him, even if he wants me to._

Dreek sighed at the unyielding Goron pride. It was what made them a strong race, and almost exactly what Link needed, but he was still unsure if now was the best time. It had only been a couple of days since Odolwa and was that really enough time to get over something like that? Who knows, maybe he'd be surprised.

Catching up with reality, Link had left the old room and already crossed one of the ledges in the large centre room to wind up in what looked like a cave. There were a few raised hexagons like the large one from before, except these were much smaller being about as long as Link was tall.

"What now then," Tatl asked.

"I don't know."

Ignoring the hexagons for now, Link followed the curved floor down to a layer of crisp white at the bottom. It looked and felt like snow should, but something about it seemed off. Remaining wary of it, Link kept looking around and saw what he guessed was another of the hexagons raised high next to a wall. Only being able to see the side, he sent Tatl off to look at it from above and confirm his guess.

"Yeah, it's the same, as one of them anyway. This one has a green top like the one near you, while the one back there is blue."

Looking around, Link noticed the other green shape that was somehow level with the ground, yet not covered in any snow at all. Before he had a chance to investigate this further, falling snow landed on his clothes that distracted him more-so. Why, or more importantly, how, would it be snowing _inside?_

The snow gradually fell faster with more falling at the same rate, and to add to the oddities, it was only snowing in the spot where Link stood. Taking a step that would have placed him outside the snowfall, it remained targeted on him as well as landing in clumps on him instead of all over. Tatl had returned now and was finding the situation just as odd as Link, who was trying to brush some of the snow off his chest, only to be rewarded with a small bite mark on his palm.

Staring at his palm in surprise, Link looked back down at the snow on his chest to find the surprise not over. The snow seemed to be forming into something, gathering itself together making a white fluffy ball along with the others across his body made by the snow. Meeting his stare, a pair of dark red eyes rolled over the top and paused, as if curious. More eyes appeared with each pair locked on to Link's face when they suddenly narrowed to slits and wide fang-filled jaws swiftly clamped down on the nearest piece of flesh they could find.

Screaming a muffled scream, Link moved as quick as he could – which was slower than expected due to the creatures weighing him down – to get out of the snow while punching one of the beasts off. Tatl had knocked one off as well by charging into it, but it looked hopeless as they simply got back up again while the continuous snow only made more of them.

"Wait," Tatl slowed, looking back at the blue tile near the back, "maybe they're connected somehow, like a switch to press down. Link, try it!"

"I can't now!" Link shouted back, still wrestling and hacking the snow balls off him.

Two more fell apart off his limbs, the sword swung only just missing the flesh, as the now free arm reached once again for the Goron mask in his pack. Fortunately, there was much less resistance than previously and the ever-beneficial transformation went as hoped, mainly because Darmani didn't do anything this time.

Running out of the ditch, both Link and Tatl were glad to see the snow had stopped falling above them as it seemed to be limited to that area only. Sadly, it didn't stop the monsters from forming and chasing them up the bank.

Grabbing the last monster on his back, Link ripped it off and crushed it in his hand paying the falling frost no regards. It was amazing how much physical strength he had now, but it was something he had banked on as the final approach to the blue tile turned into a running jump, hands balled up behind his head and swinging forwards, coming to a crashing halt on the smooth surface.

Grinding sounds quickly followed. Primarily, the target of the blow shuddered in place, as if struggling against a lock, before slowly dropping down to meet the surrounding ground. At the other side of the cave-like room, the pillar fell in a similar fashion eventually revealing another door across the ditch. Finally, to solve the problem of getting to that door, the green shape rose up from the ground not too far from where Link was now, making a short stepping stone of itself.

Link sighed, looking at the gap. "There's no way a Goron could make that."

Ripping the mask off once more, Link moved to prepare a running jump. First, he'd have to deal with the growing army of snow beasts not too far away. Counting it up as far too many to deal with in combat, Link dug into one of the pouches at his belt and drew out one of the bombs Bramne gave him. Pinching the fuse about halfway down for a quick detonation, he snapped his fingers, bowled the bomb into the middle of the pack and ran for the edge.

Eventually, Link would regret not being able to look back on the blast and see all the tiny fragments of ice and snow scatter in an instant, fluttering back down to the ground like normal snow should.

Landing on the platform and then landing again on the other side, Link moved at a more leisurely pace to the now visible door while taking the time to check himself for deep cuts or worse. Tatl, however, beat him to it when she saw the bite mark on his hand.

"Oh my gosh, they bit you? Here, let me see."

"I'm fine, Tatl," Link responded, holding up his other hand to stop her charge, "They're all just small bites. Nothing deadly, nothing-"

"All? They all bit you? Oh, Link. Please, I can-"

"Tatl," Link cut her off, his voice firm yet holding no anger, "I'm fine."

Holding herself, Tatl struggled against herself trying to decide what to do. Giving in to Link's determinism, Tatl sighed.

"If you say so."

Pressing the last droplets of blood against the wooden surface, the door leapt open leading the two into another seemingly empty cavern. This room was more obvious than the previous one, to their fortune, as a number of rock formations created a stair of sorts to a much higher ledge that could only be assumed as the way forwards.

Scanning a way up, Link found a good starting point and began the climb. With a few rocks passed and no imminent danger in sight, Link lowered his guard slightly and allowed himself a brief moment to relax. Sadly, this opened the floodgates for Darmani to enter.

_Link._

The slight annoyance of having his momentary peace disturbed was reflected in the tone of his reply.

"_What?"_

_Link, we need to talk._

Link sighed, understandably, _"I suppose we do."_

Darmani waited a moment before starting, allowing Link to finish climbing the current rock he was on and acquire a steady footing.

_Why do you find it so difficult to trust?_

"_Because..."_ a flash of faces flew through his mind, one cast in shadow lingered that Link recognised all too well, _"Because I don't know who to believe."_

_Is belief and trust not simply two forms of the same word?_

"_Then I find it difficult to believe! Life is full of deception, doubt and falsehood. How can any of us live amongst these eternal, yet cruel, facts of life?"_

There was a brief silence. Where his grip any stronger the stone in his hand would have been ground to dust. Instead, it fell from his loosening grip and echoed timelessly as it bounced again and again down the rocky slope.

_Link; let me tell you a story. Once, a few years back, a pair of travellers had made their way to our village. They had spent the night on their way up, so we offered them a place to stay and food to help them recover. The following morning, we found the Elder's home robbed of all our treasures and heritage. Half of which we found in the possession of one of the travellers who remained in the room we provided them._

_The rest of the village demanded he pay for the crime done while he constantly pleaded mercy and that he had been betrayed. Despite the cry of my fellow Gorons, I listened to the man and went to where he felt his companion may have fled to. We quickly found the thief and all that he had taken while he was talking to himself in glee about the man he left behind._

_Link, what is the moral of this story?_

"_That trust leads to good things."_ Link answered dismissively.

_No. _Darmani said suddenly. _No, it is that trust is a risk. As my fellow Gorons said, it could have easily been a trap and the rest of our tribe's history could have been stolen and never seen again. However, by taking the risk, we found the thief and brought him to justice. It is all a matter of a judgement call._

"_But-"_

_This does nothing to make trust, belief, faith, or whatever you might call it, any easier a thing to do, but there is a simple fundamental point to all of this. If we take the risk, things could go horribly wrong or incredibly right, but if we don't take the risk at all, nothing changes. Our belongings would never have been reclaimed. Tatl would never have warned you of the cracking ice._

_You will never trust yourself to be free._

Climbing past the final stair, Link stood atop the ledge and stared ahead where a door confirmed the assumptions of the correct path. Link hardly acknowledged it, however. Nor did he look back to see the large distance he had covered by himself. Simply put, he stopped and stood at the pinnacle of the ledge.

A moment later and he mentally shook himself, then noticing Tatl's stare back at him. Breaking away from it Link moved towards the door and opened it to discover the all-too familiar setting of the main central room. Another ledge that he now stood on curved around the wall once ending directly above him some ways up. Maintaining a firm grip on the cold stone beneath him, the strange group moved in silence while the rusty cogs slowly creaked back to life.

One particular cog was the near-last thing Darmani had said. Without realising it at the time, he had trusted Tatl with his life as he crossed the bridge. It was possible to pass it off as an instinct of trusting his fairy companion, yet it now existed here and could not be denied that he had displayed trust despite his better judgement at the time!

Sadly, it remained a difficult thing to hold on to. So many times the risk had failed him in the worst ways imaginable to the point where he might as well have a scar to prove it. Ultimately, it was the fact that there was no guarantee that scared him the most. The almost fanatical want to control his own life is always destroyed by the uncertain manner of all others that could make or break him. If he took no risk, little would change. Was that so bad?

Yes, it would be.

Dreek had helped show him how bad he once was, so change seemed to be only a beneficial thing now. A change that was slowly revealing itself to him yet was also not nearly done. He would have to take a risk, then, and brave the unknown by trusting those he had no control over. It was not so much that he might lose everything if he did nothing, but instead to protect what he now had; a second chance, his freedom, Tatl.

...wait, Tatl? Did he just think that? The context made it out as if he trusted her completely but somewhere among the smoke and rust in his mind he still felt unsure. As the cogs went round and round, so too did Link realise his thoughts were doing the same, following a circle leading nowhere when an end was desperately needed.

Raising his head, Link found the end to a circle that happened to be made of stone and leading to a final door that stood tall and wide. The path just followed seemed to be steeper than first imagined as they were now quite close to the roof with no higher footing to hold on to. Beyond here would be the end, another goal found and waiting to be either accomplished or failed. Link would have to trust himself and risk the outcome on himself.

Unfortunately, this was still a problem.


End file.
